The Great Electric Truck Retreat: Why Detroit’s Full-Size EV Ambitions Collapsed

The End of an Era for Full-Size Electric Pickups

For several years, the automotive industry operated under the assumption that the future of American roads was electric and oversized. Detroit’s major manufacturers, emboldened by Tesla’s earlier successes with the Model 3 and Model Y, poured billions of dollars into electrifying the nation’s best-selling vehicle segment: the full-size pickup truck. The logic seemed sound—take iconic platforms like the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, and Ram 1500, replace the combustion engines with battery packs, and offer consumers the same utility without the fuel costs.

However, the reality has proven far more difficult. The anticipated revolution in electric trucks has stalled, leaving manufacturers to grapple with massive financial write-downs, production halts, and a cooling market. The latest signal of this shift came on Friday, as Tesla announced it would discontinue the Cybertruck, marking the end of a high-profile experiment that failed to capture the broader market.

A Market in Decline

Data from Cox Automotive paints a stark picture of the segment’s performance. Sales for the six electric pickups tracked by the firm reached only 32,500 units through September of this year, representing a 53% drop compared to the same period in 2025. This decline has forced a costly retreat across the industry.

The financial fallout has been significant. Since 2025, General Motors has absorbed nearly $11 billion in write-downs as it scaled back its electric vehicle production. Ford, which previously led the segment with the F-150 Lightning, eventually discontinued the model and recorded a $19.5 billion charge. Stellantis, despite never bringing the planned Ram 1500 REV to production, has faced $26 billion in write-downs related to its EV strategy.

Why the Full-Size Bet Failed

Industry experts point to a fundamental mismatch between the capabilities required by truck owners and the limitations of current battery technology. Robby DeGraf, product and consumer insights manager at AutoPacific, noted that while the concept of a high-status, efficient electric truck sounded appealing on paper, the execution faced steep hurdles.

Stephanie Valdez Streaty, director of industry insights at Cox Automotive, explained that pickup buyers hold high standards for towing, payload, and range. Large electric trucks require massive, expensive batteries to function, yet even with these, towing heavy loads can severely deplete the vehicle’s range. Furthermore, the price point remained a major barrier. With models like the Sierra EV starting at approximately $65,000, these vehicles were often prohibitively expensive for the average consumer.

A New Strategy: Small and Affordable

In the wake of these failures, automakers are shifting their focus toward a different segment: smaller, lower-cost electric trucks. The industry is moving away from competing directly with traditional gas-powered workhorses and toward vehicles designed for simplicity and affordability.

Ford is currently developing the Fathom, a midsize truck built on a new universal EV platform. The company claims the vehicle will be simpler to manufacture than the F-150 Lightning, with a target starting price under $29,000. Production is slated to begin next fall, though specific details regarding range and trim levels remain undisclosed.

Meanwhile, startups like Slate Auto are attempting even more aggressive pricing. Their “Blank Slate” model, a basic two-seat electric pickup, is expected to enter production this month with a starting price of $24,950. Whether these smaller, budget-focused trucks can succeed where their full-size predecessors failed remains to be seen. Seth Goldstein, a senior equity analyst at Morningstar, suggests that success will likely hinge on whether these companies can deliver at least 300 miles of range, noting that achieving this in a truck is inherently more challenging than in a sedan or SUV due to the power requirements involved.

Source: businessinsider.com