Ford To Pause F-150 Lightning Production Amid Decreased Demand And Increased Competition

According to TechCrunch, Ford will halt production of its F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck starting mid-November for nearly two months due to decreased demand, increased competition, and losses in its electric vehicle (EV) business. A Ford spokesperson stated that the company continues to adjust production for an optimal mix of sales growth and profitability. This decision follows the Tesla Cybertruck surpassing Ford’s Mach-E to become the third best-selling EV in the U.S. and General Motors (GM) beating Ford in EV sales for the third quarter, with GM selling 32,095 EVs compared to Ford’s 23,509 electric models.

During a recent earnings call, Ford projected full-year Model e revenue to reach $1.2 billion, despite anticipated losses of about $5.5 billion, which are slightly lower than expected but still higher than losses in 2023. Model e is Ford’s EV business, reported separately from its Ford Blue gas-powered car business and Ford Pro commercial business. The F-150 Lightning is manufactured at Ford’s Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan. Production will pause on November 15 and resume on January 6, 2025, including the holiday break week starting December 23.

This production pause follows earlier staff cuts of one-third at the plant and comes ahead of the U.S. election next week, with government support for EVs being a debated issue in Michigan, a key swing state. In response to weakening EV demand and rising production costs, Ford announced in August it would delay plans to produce an electric three-row SUV and a next-generation EV pickup. A year ago, Ford reduced its production target for the F-150 Lightning to align with demand. Ford CEO Jim Farley highlighted the company’s focus on hybrid vehicles during the earnings call, noting that competitors do not offer hybrid options for models like the F-150 or Maverick, which has been a significant revenue opportunity for Ford. Farley indicated that this success has encouraged Ford to expand hybrid options across its lineup and explore other partial electric solutions.