Ford stops producing electric pickup trucks

According to Automotive News, Ford confirmed that the F-150 Lightning production halt will begin in mid-November and is expected to last seven weeks, before restarting in January next year.

Carscoops newspaper assessed Ford's move as quite surprising because the F-150 Lightning is considered the company's leading important model in the product electrification process.

In the first 9 months of this year, sales of this electric pickup model also increased by 86% compared to the same period in 2023.

However, the F-150 Lightning is facing stiff competition from domestic rivals including the Tesla Cybertruck, Chevy Silverado EV, and GMC Sierra EV.

The market “balance” is tilting towards Tesla, forcing Ford to adjust its production plan. This is the second time Ford has suspended production of the F-150 Lightning this year.

The plant was shut down in February for nine weeks after discovering an undisclosed quality issue, forcing the company to issue a stop-sale order.

Earlier in January, the US automaker announced plans to halve F-150 Lightning production and allocate more resources to Bronco and Ranger assembly, before cutting about two-thirds of the factory's workforce in March.

Another big reason Ford is halting production of the F-150 Lightning is because of its large inventory. Cox Automotive says it has enough F-150s of all types on hand to deliver to customers within the next 100 days.