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Ford F-150 Lightning outsold the Cybertruck and was then canceled for poor sales

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Re: Ford F-150 Lightning outsold the Cybertruck and was then canceled for poor sales

#321

Post by psunavy03 »

wolrah wrote: post #234
billti wrote: post #13

I think the timing of the Cybertruck starting deliveries roughly aligning with when Elon got heavily involved in politics hurt it quite a bit. It is such a distinctive vehicle with a strong association with Elon, that there was an immediate brand association. It may have had poor sales anyway, but it certainly didn't help that many folks on the left, who are typically the most 'pro EV', had a large 'anti-Elon' shift…

> I think the timing of the Cybertruck starting deliveries roughly aligning with when Elon got heavily involved in politics hurt it quite a bit. It is such a distinctive vehicle with a strong association with Elon, that there was an immediate brand association. It may have had poor sales anyway, but it certainly didn't help that many folks on the left, who are typically the most 'pro EV', had a large 'anti-Elon' shif…

> IMO the sort of person who wants a vehicle like Elon's dumpster has a strong overlap with Elon's politics. Basically everything about its design and marketing was aimed at the sort of person who is focused on presenting a masculine image, who thinks they're going to be in a war zone on their daily commute, who wishes they could drive through a crowd of protesters, etc.

Elon is an ass, but this is still the most crudely and childishly stereotyped thing I've read on the internet today. Congrats.

Re: Ford F-150 Lightning outsold the Cybertruck and was then canceled for poor sales

#322

Post by Workaccount2 »

mdavid626 wrote: post #166
Workaccount2 wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A 600 mile trip can (theoretically) be done with 1 charge, because you leave home with full range, and arrive with 0 charge (and fill up overnight). That one charge is done while eating dinner, or spaced out in increments over the course of the trip , stops which you would take anyway. I know few people who want to bang out 10 hours without stopping for at least 1-2 hours over the course of the trip. And those who do…

Which EV can go 600 miles with one charge, or with so little charging? How much does that car cost? Are you assuming, that every charger on the way is 200kW?

You can get Model 3 LR that will do it for $20k used.

Like everyone else, you are thinking in "gas car" trying to resolve an electric car problem.

You start every trip in an EV with full range (unplug from home base charger). You drive 300 miles. You full recharge. You drive another 300 miles. You plug-in and go to sleep.

600 miles. One charge. $20k EV.

Re: Ford F-150 Lightning outsold the Cybertruck and was then canceled for poor sales

#323

Post by Marsymars »

zdragnar wrote: post #265
rjrjrjrj wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Santa Cruz is about the same size as a Santa Fe and weighs less. The Ford Maverick is a smaller vehicle but also a truck. It is a working truck for some, and a rec/handyman vehicle for others.

A Maverick is hardly a working truck. It's got the same towing capacity of an older Kia Sportage. It's got front wheel drive (or awd). It's a car with a bed, not a truck.

A BMW i3 is a body-on-frame rear-wheel-drive vehicle, but I don't think anyone would call it a "truck without a bed, not a car".

Re: Ford F-150 Lightning outsold the Cybertruck and was then canceled for poor sales

#324

Post by sroerick »

wil421 wrote: post #145
brokensegue wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The reason is personal preference. Same reason people buy sports cars. I also wish their preferences were different

HN has hated Trucks and American cars, except when Tesla came out, for as long as I’ve been here. Same with Reddit.

It's pretty funny how much truck rage there is here.

Re: Ford F-150 Lightning outsold the Cybertruck and was then canceled for poor sales

#325

Post by gscott »

jahsome wrote: post #222
alexjplant wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> A pickup truck should just be max utility, especially if you're a manufacturer making your first one The modern US pickup truck isn't built for utility. It's a $60,000 four-door lifted luxobarge with leather interior and a short bed. It signals (perceived) wealth while preserving working-class alignment. It can also be justified by way of having to pick up used furniture for TikTok refinish and flip projects or bim…

As someone who's just been trying to buy a crappy used truck to haul some crap to the dump a couple times a year, you're absolutely spot on. I even live in the southwest US where trucks make up a considerable portion of vehicles on the road. Crappy used trucks simply aren't up for sale. And even the rare listing I do come across, the asking price is ridiculously inflated.

I have had good luck with farm type auctions just check the rust. IronPlanet is also really good but a little more expensive.

Re: Ford F-150 Lightning outsold the Cybertruck and was then canceled for poor sales

#326

Post by scottyah »

overfeed wrote: post #139
Glyptodon wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think if people who like trucks didn't see videos of things like the bumper ripping off when towing or minor failures leading to whole vehicle shorts it might have done better. The people who want trucks want resilience and ability to self-service more than the average car buyer.

Cybertruck offroading attempts were also a hoot to watch. The whole vibe is that it is merely a truck-shaped Tesla EV that's terrible at most truck tasks. Sure, there's a market for mall-run trucks with pristine beds and never get any mud on them, but it's not a big one.

It's an amazing vehicle well suited to many normal tasks and more, and is an absolute pleasure to drive off road. I think you were subjected to either misinformation or very biased clips that were intended to warp your opinion.

Re: Ford F-150 Lightning outsold the Cybertruck and was then canceled for poor sales

#327

Post by rjrjrjrj »

zdragnar wrote: post #265
rjrjrjrj wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Santa Cruz is about the same size as a Santa Fe and weighs less. The Ford Maverick is a smaller vehicle but also a truck. It is a working truck for some, and a rec/handyman vehicle for others.

A Maverick is hardly a working truck. It's got the same towing capacity of an older Kia Sportage. It's got front wheel drive (or awd). It's a car with a bed, not a truck.

Ford calls it a truck. Ask a random person on the street, and they'll say it is a small truck.

I've seen plenty of people in working clothes driving them, carrying working tools and such.

Re: Ford F-150 Lightning outsold the Cybertruck and was then canceled for poor sales

#328

Post by scottyah »

piyh wrote: post #136
jandrese wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Politics or no, the price point ultimately dictated its maximum sales. By that measure it's a reasonable success, and if Elon was forecasting that they would sell multiple tens of thousands of vehicles per year at a $80,000 price point he needs to lay off the drugs. Elon sometimes seems like the living embodiment of "How much could a banana cost, Michael, $10?" parody of out of touch rich people.

I remember the "under $40k" announcement price

2019 just before covid was a bad time to make price estimates five years into the future.

Re: Ford F-150 Lightning outsold the Cybertruck and was then canceled for poor sales

#329

Post by Marsymars »

ActorNightly wrote: post #82
grouchomarx wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I think the timing of the Cybertruck starting deliveries roughly aligning with when Elon got heavily involved in politics That and also it's just a bad product. >That said, even though it's not to my taste, I do admire that they dared to do something different and took a big gamble on it. A pickup truck should just be max utility, especially if you're a manufacturer making your first one edit: agree there's a market…

>A pickup truck should just be max utility, The problem is as soon as you go EV, you use a lot of utility from the get go. With a truck specifically, because its a brick aerodynamically. There is no reason to buy a Cybertruck or Lightning when you can get a gas or hybrid F150 (or a Raptor) for a little bit more, and be able to sit at 80 mph on highways without worrying about range. The biggest suprise about the light…

> The biggest suprise about the lightning is that Ford didn't put in a gas engine in it as a range extender.

They announced that along with the EV Lightning cancellation: https://www.fromtheroad.ford.com/us/en/articles/2025/next-ge...

Re: Ford F-150 Lightning outsold the Cybertruck and was then canceled for poor sales

#330

Post by scottyah »

c0brac0bra wrote: post #312
billti wrote: post #13

I think the timing of the Cybertruck starting deliveries roughly aligning with when Elon got heavily involved in politics hurt it quite a bit. It is such a distinctive vehicle with a strong association with Elon, that there was an immediate brand association. It may have had poor sales anyway, but it certainly didn't help that many folks on the left, who are typically the most 'pro EV', had a large 'anti-Elon' shift…

Have we completely forgotten about how Tesla dealerships were shot up, firebombed? Video after video showing cybertrucks vandalized with scratches and spray paint? It may be a terrible car from a terrible program, but these events at least bear mentioning. If you saw it happening in 2025, would it have a cooling effect on your decision to purchase? Who would want the trouble?

The targeted vandalism/terrorism definitely stopped a lot of purchases.
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