Live data from Hacker News

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

electrek.co

431–440 of 1001 posts

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

#431

It's a shame the Lightning got discontinued. As an EV owner, it sucks that the main thing holding the technology back is misconceptions and misunderstanding, rather than actual practical matters. People think EVs are cars with tanks of electrons, and run aground the same way you would if you thought horses were cars full of hay. It's a different transport tool that gives the same results, you just have to know how to…

An F-150 Lightning and Cybertruck weigh somewhere between 6000 and 7000 pounds, so I personally think of them the same way as if you replaced your horse with a hippo. It's not hard to convince people to move to electric, just make it such a better economic proposition that it would be silly not to.

No pickup is light. A Lightning weighs about the same as a gasser F250, and less than a diesel F250.

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

#432
post #405

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was looking for the same thing and a friend gave me some advice. Get an SUV with a trailer hitch. worked out great. Maybe better than a pickup. For example - taking mountain bikes somewhere to ride - you can put them in the back, go ride, and leave them there while you go eat without someone stealing them. You can even load them the night before. dirty stuff can use a trailer (I've never needed one) and suv carries…

Never understood why the yanks don't like vans? Pickups are much less popular here in the UK, many more people use vans. A crew cab van with removable seats is infinitely more flexible than a pickup, other than long stuff which you chuck on a roof rack.

Vans usually have a very difficult time off-road or in mountainous terrain.

Vans are commonly used in urban areas, especially by businesses, but suburbs, rural, and construction benefit from higher clearences of SUVs and trucks.

SUVs are also usually much better in hazardous driving conditions because of a more optimal weight distribution.

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

#433

It's a shame the Lightning got discontinued. As an EV owner, it sucks that the main thing holding the technology back is misconceptions and misunderstanding, rather than actual practical matters. People think EVs are cars with tanks of electrons, and run aground the same way you would if you thought horses were cars full of hay. It's a different transport tool that gives the same results, you just have to know how to…

...misconceptions and misunderstanding, rather than actual practical matters. What's the range of an F-150 Lightning when towing a small travel trailer? The Rivian R1T is ~150 miles give or take. I assume the F-150 is similar. At least for towing, the math isn't great. Especially when you add in the cost - my Honda Ridgeline was $42k in 2021. EV trucks are roughly double that amount.

> my Honda Ridgeline was $42k in 2021. EV trucks are roughly double that amount

My Lightning was <$51K in 2024.

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

#434

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you read the contract with Home Depot? You can't use their trucks for anything other than hauling your purchased from Home Depot home. I haven't see the contract with enterprise trucks, but I suspect it is similarity restricted against the type of damage this is normal from using a truck for work. You can at least tow a trailer with them. Their locations are not convenient for me either.

Yep. Renting a truck where you could actually haul a load of dirt or mulch, or tow anything, you will need to go to with a "commercial" rental which will be 5x the rate for a consumer rental or "Home Depot" truck rental. The Home Depot/consumer trucks don't even have a tow hitch.

LOL, the Home Depot flatbed I rented a week ago (the $19 deal although I went a little long and ended up paying $32 total) had just hauled a load of dirt or mulch. No one read me anything saying I couldn't use it for purposes other than carrying a Home Depot purchased item (although that's what I was doing). The HD page for the F250 flatbed does say they only supply a hitch if you are renting something towable from them but says nothing about using it for other purposes (like hauling dirt).

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

#435

I've seen headlines / stories giving Toyota grief about not going 'all-in' on BEVs while many other companies did. It seems that the hybrid-first strategy has been working pretty well for them. (The 2026 RAV4s are hybrid-only with no ICE-only options, AIUI.)

Armchair internet analysts think they know better than the biggest car producer in the world that reinvented the modern supply chain. "But look at Tesla market cap!!!" Toyota had the right intuition: focus on EVs when the global sales will make sense for it, meanwhile avoid throwing good money after bad like most legacy automakers did with EVs.

> Armchair internet analysts think they know better than the biggest car producer in the world

The car producer that still seems to think hydrogen is the future? The armchair internet analysts seem closer to correct.

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

#436
post #405

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 was looking for the same thing and a friend gave me some advice. Get an SUV with a trailer hitch. worked out great. Maybe better than a pickup. For example - taking mountain bikes somewhere to ride - you can put them in the back, go ride, and leave them there while you go eat without someone stealing them. You can even load them the night before. dirty stuff can use a trailer (I've never needed one) and suv carries…

Even cheaper than SUVs are used minivans. My 2005 Honda Odyssey was an amazing “truck” with a good amount of towing capacity for most cases.

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

#437

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Toyota is not immune to throwing good money after bad. They have dumped billions into hydrogen fuel cell research and production over three decades. Last year they sold more Venzas than hydrogen cars. Notably, the Venza was discontinued after the 2024 model year and those sales figures represent inventory leftover from prior years.

Yes doing business involves taking risks. Avoiding EV fomo when the market wasn't there was a good calculated risk.

You give them credit for taking a risk on hydrogen but not the manufacturers who took a risk on EVs? Interesting.

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

#438
post #48

It wasn't canceled for poor sales. It was canceled because it was too expensive to produce, and would not fund all their other EV/battery projects. They found a better road to profitability in that front.

And because they have problems as it is sourcing aluminum for more profitable F150 variants. Ford lives or dies based on the F150, they needed to focus on higher profit margins on the trucks they could actually build.

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

#439

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Literally the only people who can think that this dude is anywhere remotely objective is if you are already a Tesla hater; he posts qualifications in every title and always adjusts the wording and tone to be negative. Every Electrek's take on an article is him describing how he warned everyone about the Elon/Tesla heel turn as you laid it out. It screams confirmation bias but since he isn't a journalist there's no co…

I'm bullish on EV's at large. They're far nicer to ride in. So I find his coverage informative. I've never owned a Tesla but I've ridden in hundreds and must admit (other than the original Roadster) I've been thoroughly "whelmed" by their mediocrity. However, short of going to places like Reddit's "Tesla Lounge" or "Cyber Truck Owners Forum" I have yet to see many (any?) places that cover Tesla/Elon positively. Not b…

[deleted]

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

#440

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm bullish on EV's at large. They're far nicer to ride in. So I find his coverage informative. I've never owned a Tesla but I've ridden in hundreds and must admit (other than the original Roadster) I've been thoroughly "whelmed" by their mediocrity. However, short of going to places like Reddit's "Tesla Lounge" or "Cyber Truck Owners Forum" I have yet to see many (any?) places that cover Tesla/Elon positively. Not b…

Makes it even more impressive that Model Y is the best selling car worldwide. If you sell enough, I guess by definition you achieve mediocrity. You eventually become the average simply numerically.

Best selling car worldwide and not a super affordable one at that, but if you listen to everyone on the internet who "doesn't own a Tesla but has ridden in hundreds", they'll you very authoritatively they're mediocre cars.
Post reply on HN