Fresh off the shocking success of the first-ever Ford F-150 Lightning, an AutoForecast Solutions (AFS) report says it thinks the next generation of the EV pickup truck has a production start date of August 18, 2025. AFS predicts a slight 16-week production overlap between the current-gen truck, expected to be produced until Christmas Eve 2025, and its next-gen successor.
But wait, there’s more! Well, kinda. The coming Lightning will run on the new TE1 platform, which should also underpin the next Expedition and Lincoln Navigator. The dedicated EV platform marks Ford changing lanes away from the traditional ICE F-150, and giving it higher-quality batteries and increased range. Ford’s production complex in Tennessee will also build another EV pickup.
That latter truck is, more specifically, “a vehicle we do not have today [on] a brand-new platform — a full-size pickup platform,” said Ford CEO Jim Farley. “We think it’s going to be incredibly high volume.” Ford has also described this new mystery product as “a next-gen electric truck, different from the F-150 Lightning.”
Laycee from Miss GoElectric YouTube channel said she spoke to Farley and was told the new pickup would stand out from the traditional design and possibly offer around 100 miles (161 km) more range than the Lightning. With confidence but without certainty, we can expect a Ranger and Bronco EV coming down the tailpipe in the next few years. I’ll say late 2026, once the gen-two Lightning shows up.
Lastly, the current Lightning and the Mustang Mach-E still aren’t using Sync 4A infotainment ahead of their eventual swap to Android Automotive. The new system will bring customer-requested features like a refreshed interface, larger icons, and new HVAC control using the volume knob.
One more thing: Ford Authority says the next-gen gasoline- and diesel-powered F-150s will drop in 2024, which should make them the last of their kind before the rEVolution.
Keyword: Second-gen Ford F-150 Lightning due in 2025: analysts