Ford, Tesla fight for EV truck dominance

The Cybertruck is finally in production, while Ford slashes prices on the F-150 Lightning. Who will win?

Ford F-150 Lightning trucks
(Image credit: David Paul Morris / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The EV truck wars have begun. Ford announced this week it is slashing $10,000 of the price of its F-150 Lightning trucks, The Washington Post reported. That's a clear challenge to Tesla, which has dominated the EV market — and which, after years of delays, last week finally rolled its first Cybertruck off the company's assembly line at Austin, Texas. The gas-powered version of the F-150 has been "Ford's most popular offering," making the electrified version a "particular threat" to Tesla's standing.

Elon Musk, Tesla's CEO, seems ready for the challenge. "The Ford Lightning is a good vehicle, just somewhat expensive," he tweeted, "especially given the high interest rates these days for any kind of loan." That comment was "somewhat interesting," Electrek's Fred Lambert pointed out, given that the new Cybertruck's "pricing is unknown" so far. The Lightning's base model, meanwhile, will now be listed at $49,995.

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Joel Mathis, The Week US

Joel Mathis is a writer with 30 years of newspaper and online journalism experience. His work also regularly appears in National Geographic and The Kansas City Star. His awards include best online commentary at the Online News Association and (twice) at the City and Regional Magazine Association.