Ford is reducing the production of its F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck starting April 1st.
The automaker said the move is “to achieve optimal balance of production, sales growth and profitability” and that it expects to see “continued growth in its global EV sales in 2024, though less than anticipated.”
The move comes as Ford prepares to launch its next-generation electric vehicles (EVs) soon. Ford says it was America’s second best-selling electric vehicle brand in 2023 and the F-150 Lightning is America’s best-selling electric truck.
The F-150 Lightning is built at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Centre in Michigan. Starting April 1st, production will transition from two shifts to one. This will impact roughly 1,400 workers.
Approximately 700 workers will be transferred to Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant, to join a third crew being put together by Ford to build more of the Bronco, Bronco Raptor, the new Ranger, and Ranger Raptor to meet demand. The other half will be placed in other roles at the Rouge Complex or other Ford facilities in Southeast Michigan. Some workers have also been offered a “Special Retirement Incentive.” Ford says it’s also creating nearly 900 new jobs to deal with increased demand for its Bronco and Ranger vehicles.
“We are taking advantage of our manufacturing flexibility to offer customers choices while balancing our growth and profitability. Customers love the F-150 Lightning, America’s best-selling EV pickup,” said Ford president and CEO Jim Farley, in a recent press release. “We see a bright future for electric vehicles for specific consumers, especially with our upcoming digitally advanced EVs and access to Tesla’s charging network beginning this quarter.”
Ford did not say exactly how many F-150 Lightning units they would build weekly after the cut. But, by cutting a shift on the F-150 Lightning line, CNBC says the number of F-150 Lightning units built weekly will go from 3200 to 1600 units.
Last year it was found that the F-150 Lightning’s range dropped 25 percent under its max payload.
Image credit: Ford
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