I believe they were hoping for branding. With Ford, the names “F-150” and “Mustang” have a reputation of manliness that they hoped would transition the consumer to embrace EV’s as Ford’s indulgence payments to escape regulatory purgatory. The same with Government Motors banking on the Hummer brand name.
It’s like they didn’t ask any real truck owners first.
An EV F-150 is like Impossible Meat to a real man.