Posted on 12/12/2023 8:25:28 AM PST by Red Badger
KEY POINTS
* Ford Motor will cut planned production of its all-electric F-150 Lightning pickup roughly in half next year.
* It marks a major reversal after the automaker significantly increased plant capacity for the EV in 2023.
* EV demand has been slower than many expected, as prices and interest rates remain high. But sales of the F-150 Lightning have steadily increased this year.
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DETROIT — Ford Motor will cut planned production of its all-electric F-150 Lightning pickup roughly in half next year, marking a major reversal after the automaker significantly increased plant capacity for the electric vehicle in 2023.
The new production plans call for average volume of around 1,600 F-150 Lightnings a week at Ford’s Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan, starting in January, according to a source familiar with the decision. The automaker most recently planned to produce roughly 3,200 of the vehicles on average per week.
“We’ll continue to match production with customer demand,” a Ford spokeswoman said Monday.
Ford executives have recently said the automaker will match production to demand, as the company cancels or postpones $12 billion in upcoming EV investments.
The production cuts for the F-150 Lightning were first detailed in a planning memo to suppliers obtained by Automotive News. The memo cited “changing market demand” for the cuts, according to the publication.
EV demand has been slower than many expected, as prices and interest rates remain high. Automakers are working to cut costs of producing all-electric vehicles, while rethinking production and product plans for the years ahead.
Ford spent six weeks earlier this year to increase capacity of the F-150 Lightning at the Michigan plant, which was expected to be capable of producing 150,000 of the all-electric trucks, three times its initial planned output.
Sales of the F-150 Lightning have steadily increased in 2023, notching a monthly record of roughly 4,400 sold in November. The company has only sold 20,365 of the trucks this year through November, up 54% from a year earlier.
So they’ll have half as many that won’t sell.
please produce more maverick, i will not go full electric, until they make it as easy as pumping gas....
such as
1. shrink battery down size and easy to remove
2. pumping ‘electric’ is as easy as going to a station and exchange said empty and light battery with a filled battery
EVs suck. The USA knew that back in 1920.
“Ford Motor will cut planned production of its all-electric F-150 Lightning pickup roughly in half next year, marking a major reversal after the automaker significantly increased plant capacity for the electric vehicle in 2023.”
HAHA!
I still don’t know how anyone thought those things would sell.
Wanna bet they eventually stop production? This is the way to slowly let employees find different work before the big hammer falls.
Just convert the factory to make real F-150s?
Echo chamber of all like minded people. That’s usually how bad ideas are born.
“more maverick”
DITTO. Give me cheap with NO bells whistles and NO electronics! A key, transmission shifter and gas peddle . I’m happy
Ya know? Half of a P38 Lightening wouldn’t fly well either.
Have you checked the price of real F-150’s lately? Even the cheap ones are outrageous. With the economy on track to crash and burn I predict the real F-150 production will also be cut.
I laugh, I snicker,I sneer. Now they still own a half of a joke!
Flood the market and LOWER the price.
What really confuses me is that everyone was trying to come up with a decent EV until Joe Pedeaux got elected. Then, all of a sudden, they were everywhere. At least that what the RATs told us.
I think I, and a lot of people, would get on board with that.
Well, except for that little fire thingee...
I priced a new (upper-end) Toyota Tundra last night. $78,000 before adding goodies, delivery our taxes. That’s crazy.
Every worker in the auto industry(and all manufacturing) expects to be made a millionaire instead of working for a livable wage. I Don’t know where this ends.
Better yet, shrink the battery to 12V and use it for starting the ICE. Claim a breakthru in truck design.
The sales prognosticators at Ford must be reading some very dry tea leaves. 1,600 units in 6 months works out to a little over 30 units per state. Since there are more than 30 Ford dealers in each state, not every dealer is going to get one. Sales expectations must be approaching zero and that doesn’t take into account the units that most dealers have on their lot that they were forced to take.
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