Ford has paused the production of its best-selling electric Ford F-150 Lightning as engineers work to discover what is causing a battery problem within the vehicle.
Key Details
- Ford’s plant in Dearborn, Michigan— built and designed specifically to make Ford’s F-150 Lightning—has been shut down for a week as crews work to discover what is causing a battery problem within the all-electric vehicle, according to Ford spokesman Emma Bergg.
- Bergg did not disclose the details of the battery problem but says the plant has stopped production and shipment of the vehicles.
- Ford has not stated when production will start back up at the plant or how long it estimates production will be paused.
Why it’s news
The company says the F-150 Lightning was the best-selling truck in America in December. Ford delivered 13,258 electric F-150s in 2022 with plans to build the all-electric pickup trucks at a rate of 150,000 vehicles a year by 2023 but depending on how long the pause is, those numbers will be affected.
The company said in December that it had received enough orders to fill F-150 Lightning production through 2024, and if it were to stay on goal with 150,000 vehicles a year, the company would have to make 12,500 a month, and a production pause would set that number back.
Ford had to pause production due to a battery issue within the truck, but the company has not disclosed the problem. Engineers are working to fix the issue so production can resume, but it has been down for a week.
“As part of our pre-delivery quality inspections, the vehicle displayed a potential battery issue, and we’re holding vehicles while we investigate,” says Ford spokesman Emma Bergg. “It is related to the battery, and the team is conducting a root-cause analysis. Our engineering team applies rigor and discipline to establishing the root cause, so I don’t have any timing to share with you.”
Ford has not issued a stop on vehicles already on dealer lots but has completely shut down production to ensure no vehicles are sold with a battery issue.
