Ford pares back EV push, pivots to gas and hybrids amid losses

Ford Motor Co said on Monday it is scaling back its once-ambitious electric vehicle strategy, pivoting toward gasoline-powered and hybrid models as mounting losses and weaker-than-expected consumer demand weigh on its EV business.

The Detroit automaker said it will stop producing the electric F-150 Lightning pickup and instead move to an extended-range version that combines an electric drivetrain with a gasoline engine. Ford will also repurpose key manufacturing sites initially earmarked for its EV

expansion.

Its Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center, part of the BlueOval City campus, will be renamed the Tennessee Truck Plant and will manufacture affordable gas-powered trucks. Meanwhile, the Ohio Assembly Plant will be retooled to build a new gasoline and hybrid van.

Ford has lost about $13 billion on its EV operations since 2023 and expects a further $19.5 billion impact, largely in the fourth quarter, related to the business.

“This is a customer-driven shift to create a stronger, more resilient and more profitable Ford,” Chief Executive Jim Farley said, adding that the company is redeploying capital toward higher-return areas such as commercial vehicles, hybrids and battery energy storage.

The automaker now expects hybrids, extended-range EVs and fully electric vehicles to account for about half of its global sales by 2030, up from 17% currently.

Industry analysts said the move reflects broader challenges facing EV adoption in the United States, where high prices and charging infrastructure constraints continue to deter mainstream buyers. EVs made up roughly 8% of new vehicle sales last year, with the average transaction price significantly higher than that of conventional vehicles.

Policy shifts under US President Donald Trump’s administration, including the rollback of EV tax incentives and softer emissions standards, have further prompted automakers to reassess electrification timelines, analysts said.