In the high-stakes world of electric pickups, whispers can turn into thunderclaps. Just days ago, on November 6, 2025, reports surfaced that Ford Motor Company is seriously mulling the end of production for its F-150 Lightning, the once-heralded EV trailblazer that promised to electrify America's best-selling truck lineage. Citing weak demand, mounting losses—Ford's Model e division bled $1.4 billion in Q3 alone—and a supply snag from an October aluminum plant fire, executives are reportedly prioritizing gas and hybrid F-150s. Production halted last month, and with dealer lots still stocked (average sell-through down to 66 days from a peak of 143), the Lightning's three-year run feels like a false dawn.
This isn't just a Ford fumble; it's a symptom of EV market jitters. Despite record U.S. sales of over 23,000 Lightnings through nine months of 2025, the truck's $49,875 base price hasn't ignited the mass adoption Ford envisioned. Analysts like Morningstar's David Whiston aren't shocked: "The Lightning's long in the tooth, and a new-gen EV truck is in the works." If confirmed, this spells the end of the road for the segment's early leader, leaving buyers—and investors—scrambling.
So, which electric pickup will seize the crown next? The horizon buzzes with contenders. GM's 2025 Chevrolet Silverado EV already flexes with 492 miles of range and zippy acceleration, while its upscale sibling, the 2025 GMC Sierra EV Denali, tows like a beast at $109,000. Rivian's refreshed 2026 R1T ups the ante with 1,025 horsepower in Quad-Motor guise, hitting 60 mph in 2.5 seconds, and off-road prowess that turns trails into playgrounds. Ram's 2026 1500 REV promises 500 miles and 14,000-pound towing, evolving from pure EV to a range-extended hybrid for real-world grit. Don't sleep on newcomers: Scout's rugged 2026 Traveler (VW-backed, Rivian-built) eyes affordability, VinFast's midsize VF Wild aims for 2026 production, and Slate's no-frills $25,000 compact EV truck targets blue-collar budgets by Q4 2026. These aren't pie-in-the-sky concepts; they're slated to redefine capability amid charging infrastructure woes and subsidy shifts.
But the real gut-punch question lingers over Tesla's angular albatross: the Cybertruck. With over 10,000 units languishing in inventory by May 2025—worth nearly $800 million at $78,000 a pop—sales have sputtered to under 17,000 in the first half of the year. Cancellations pile up: the rear-wheel-drive model vanished in September, the $16,000 range extender (promised for 500-mile range) got axed in May with full refunds, and a three-day Austin factory shutdown hit in December 2024. Critics call it "enormous, impractical, breakable, hideous, and extremely unsafe," with vandalism and harassment adding insult to Elon Musk's injuries. Tesla's raised prices amid falling demand, and Europe—a key market—won't even see it. Could this stainless-steel sideshow get shelved soon after the Lightning? Or is it Musk's unkillable moonshot?
The EV pickup arena is a Darwinian arena: survivors will blend brute force, range, and price without alienating truck loyalists hooked on hybrids. Ford's retreat signals caution, but GM, Rivian, and Ram are charging ahead. As for Cybertruck—love it or loathe it—its fate hangs by a recall-prone thread.
Spies, you've got the intel: With Lightning lights out, which EV truck vaults to the top—Silverado's reliability, R1T's adrenaline, REV's versatility, or an underdog like VF Wild? And could Cybertruck join the scrap heap by 2026, or will Tesla pivot to save its $100K gamble? Drop your take below—what's your next rig to FALL, and why?