American automaker Ford has confirmed that it’s halting the production of its F-150 Lightning, the best-selling electric pickup truck in the United States, due to a possible battery problem.
In a statement given to CNN News, Ford spokesperson Emma Berg said that the company discovered the issue during pre-delivery vehicle inspections, and the production halt was ordered last week.
According to the report, the pause in production and delivery will not affect trucks already at dealerships or those already delivered to customers. Besides this, Ford did not provide any information about the nature of the battery-related problem, nor did it mention its severity of it. “The team is diligently working on the root cause analysis,” Berg said.
Production for the F-150 Lightning started in the spring of last year. Since then, the automotive company has sold 18,000 F-150 Lightning pickup trucks, making the vehicle the best-seller in its category. However, competition is on its way.
General Motors is expected to begin producing the Chevrolet Silverado EV later this year, which will be followed early next year by the GMC Sierra EV. Tesla’s Cybertruck is also expected to begin full production in 2024, and Stellantis will reportedly begin production of the Ram 1500 Rev next year.
While the current halt in production is due to a battery issue, Ford has made significant investments in battery production, including a recent $3.5 billion USD (about $4.6 billion CAD) in a new battery plant in Michigan that’s set to begin production in 2026. Additionally, the automaker is constructing production facilities in Kentucky and Tennessee to manufacture electric vehicle batteries and trucks.
Source: CNN News
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