To say the F-Series is vital to Ford's business would be an understatement. America's best-selling truck for 48 consecutive years had a solid 2024 when shipments grew by 2% to 765,649 units. The Blue Oval doesn't say how many of those were F-150s, but it must've done the heavy lifting versus the Super Duty range. However, the Dearborn automaker might take longer than initially planned to replace the current F-150, which has been around since 2020.
According to new reports from Automotive News and The Detroit Free Press, the fifteenth generation has allegedly been pushed back. Ford has apparently told suppliers that the new truck, internally codenamed "P736," won't hit the assembly line in 2027. Instead, the start of production has been delayed by at least a year. According to the new schedule, the next-gen F-150 will enter series production by the middle of 2028. It wouldn't be the only truck to have its launch delayed, as the F-150 Lightning successor (aka "Project T3") has been rescheduled for the latter half of 2027.
A third new truck is on the way. Touted by Ford's CEO as a "game changer," the midsize pickup designed in California will have roughly the same footprint as the Ranger but with an all-electric powertrain instead. It aims to deliver "an incredible package and consumer technology for a segment we know well," according to a statement made by Jim Farley last October. It will sit on a new, lower-cost platform engineered by a "skunkworks" team and is programmed to go on sale in 2027.
Earlier this month, Farley said large electric trucks have "unresolvable" issues due to weight and high battery costs, adding towing is a real concern. While purely electric pickups are still on the agenda, these will be joined by extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs) with combustion engines powering a generator to charge the battery packs. Think Ram 1500 Ramcharger, which is coming out later this year. The gas engine is not mechanically connected to the wheels in these vehicles.
It's too early to know if the next-gen F-150 will get the EREV treatment. The jury is still out on whether the Lightning successor or the new midsize truck will spawn a version with a range-extending gas engine. Regardless, we get the impression that Ford wants to cover all the bases by offering multiple powertrains to suit all needs and preferences.
But pursuing fully electric vehicles is a costly endeavor, with Ford estimating it'll lose $5 to $5.5 billion this year. In 2024, the Model e branch in charge of zero-emission vehicles posted a full-year EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes) loss of $5.1 billion.
Sources: Automotive News, The Detroit Free Press
