I Voted for Trump and Love My F-150 Lightning, EVs Shouldn't Be A Political Statement When They Work This Well

The electric vehicle wars were never supposed to be about tribal warfare. But here we are, where your car keys say as much about your political affiliation as your voting record. And that is the absolute worst thing that ever happened to electric vehicles, they became political. As one Ford F-150 Lightning Owner recently said in a viral Facebook post, reacted to by hundreds of fellow drivers, 

“The worst thing that ever happened to electric vehicles was they became political.”

 

The man isn't alone, and judging by the comment section full of diesel equipment operators and pragmatic suburbanites, he struck a nerve buried deep beneath decades of broken promises and regulatory overreach.

The irony is almost painful,  America had the lead. In the 1990s, General Motors brought the EV1 to life, a sleek, purpose-built electric machine that could’ve kicked off a real revolution. It was quiet, efficient, and deeply ahead of its time. But instead of nurturing that promise, GM pulled the plug, literally. 

Electrifying America’s Best-Selling Vehicle, The F-150 

• Ford invested three years in comprehensive customer research to understand the preferences of F-150 owners and potential buyers. This effort aimed to ensure the F-150 Lightning met the expectations of younger, tech-savvy customers seeking versatility and capability. ​
• The F-150 Lightning incorporates unique features such as the Mega Power Frunk, a 400-liter front trunk offering additional secure storage space. This design enhances the vehicle's practicality, catering to users who require both utility and convenience. ​
• Ford's decision to electrify the F-150 aligns with its broader strategy to invest $22 billion in electric vehicles. By transforming its best-selling model into an electric variant, Ford aims to accelerate EV adoption and contribute to a zero-emissions future.

Most of those cars were rounded up, crushed, and buried in the Arizona desert. What replaced it? The GMC Hummer.

Meanwhile, Toyota launched the Prius and Honda gave us the Insight, both of which sold in droves and helped reframe efficiency not as compromise, but as common sense. America fumbled the ball, and Japan ran it in for a touchdown.

What Ford’s F-150 Lightning Reveals About Progress Beyond Politics

The result of that failure, paired with decades of political whiplash, is a deeply polarized conversation about what should be a technical evolution. For years, consumers were told they must buy green. That they’d be saving the world if they traded their V8s for volts. But now the market is shifting not because of guilt or government nudging but because some EVs are just flat-out better vehicles. As the F-150 Lightning owner explained: 

“I bought it because I wanted it, and it serves my purpose extremely well, and I love it.”

 No flag-waving. No virtue-signaling. Just a tool that works.

And that’s the key, utility. The F-150 Lightning isn’t some science project or Silicon Valley status symbol. It’s a truck. A truck that happens to be electric, and for many owners, that makes it better.

“It has saved me a significant amount of money each month on gas.” 

The same owner notes. 

“Extremely fast and fun as heck to drive while being super comfortable to drive and ride in… I can power my home in the event of a power outage if I need to.” 

That’s not ideology; that’s practicality. The kind your average rancher or contractor can wrap their calloused hands around.

If we take off our partisan blinders for a moment, it becomes clear that most Americans aren't looking for a movement, they're looking for reliability. 

“We've made such a spectacle out of how torque gets put to the road, it's beyond childish.” 

One commenter wrote. Another added, 

“We own both vehicles for their ideal use cases… only if that direction best suits our needs.” 

That’s the kind of even-keeled logic that once made American car buyers the smartest in the world.

People want to drive without worrying about oil changes, timing belts, or whether they’ll be labeled a socialist for plugging in at a grocery store.

The Ford F-150 Expirment 

And let’s give Ford its due, they nailed it. While other manufacturers played it safe, Ford put their neck out and electrified America’s best-selling vehicle. The result isn’t just good, it’s great. The Lightning retains the spirit of the F-Series: strong, capable, and versatile. Except now, you also get a mobile generator, a cavernous front trunk, and near-instant torque. In the middle of a blizzard, it becomes a safe haven. In a blackout, it becomes a lifeline. 

“I can sit stuck in a traffic jam in a blizzard literally for days and stay warm and comfortable.” 

And maybe that’s the lesson. The American EV conversation doesn’t need to be dominated by politics, mandates, or self-righteous finger-wagging. It can be about performance, convenience, and damn good engineering. The fact that this Lightning owner also voted for Trump and owns trailers and hunting gear shouldn’t surprise anyone, it should remind us that people from all walks of life can appreciate progress when it’s done right. As he put it: 

“It’s not for you or anyone else to decide my beliefs, my politics, or my finances… It’s time to grow up.”

So let’s do that. Let’s grow up and get back to talking about cars. Because beneath the noise and nonsense, we’re seeing something remarkable happen: American consumers choosing EVs not out of guilt or tribalism but because they work. And when that choice comes wrapped in steel, torque, and utility you can bet your life on, it’s not politics, it’s progress. Whether you pull a lever for Trump or Biden, whether you drink oat milk or black coffee, the Lightning proves that when the product is good enough, it transcends the culture war. And that, friends, is how America gets back in the game.

Image Source: Ford F-150 Lightning Facebook Group, Ford Media Center

Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.