I always viewed that Lightning as a stopgap until they got a more “complete” offering together

I just don't see PHEV trucks catching on with consumers.  It's a perfect fit for a small number of use cases but a powerboost hybrid would be 10 times more successful.   I'm also not convinced the EREV F150 lightning is going to work either.  It won't have enough battery range for the EV lovers and if you still have to use gas then why not just buy a powerboost?

https://www.motor1.com/news/789778/honda-cancels-three-electric-vehicles/

You won't see any performance EVs from Ford going forward.  Too expensive.  Better to put that effort into ICE vehicles like a RWD mustang crossover.

Remember you're talking to a guy that said the 2025 Expedition would flop because they didn't change the side profile or body line.   For 2025 Expedition sales were actually up 10%.

Well there is only one in North America and Australia so that's not difficult.   But Focus in Europe and Mondeo in China  are absolutely boring.

Which government policy benefits oil companies and automakers?  Certainly not CAFE.  Certainly not EV tax rebates or pending legislation outlawing ICE altogether.  Democrat goverment policy cost automakers tens of billions of dollars and created artificial demand.    All because liberals screamed that SUVs would burn up the planet and drown coastal cities.   Certainly not the chicken tax (stupid as it is) because the Japanese already build light trucks here and the Koreans may be following suit.   Nobody is forcing consumers to buy larger trucks and suvs.  A Rav4 is more expensive than Camry and corolla but outsells both.  Toyota/Lexus still has a full lineup of cars yet trucks and suvs outsold cars last year 1.8M to 700k.   That's not lack of product or government policy it's simple consumer preference.

Rivian has used LFP on the R1 and will use it for the entry-level R2 and R3 AFAIK LG makes its current NMC Cells

Huh?  Mavericks don't have 4,000 lbs of payload!  Towing, yes, but not payload.  Hell, my F350 doesn't even have 4k lbs of payload.