Ford says it plans to begin manufacture of the F-150 Lightning on March 13th, six weeks after halting production of the EV. After a battery issue led one of the trucks to catch fire in a holding lot on February 4th, it halted manufacturing and delivered a stop-shipment order to dealers. It’s unclear what caused the fire or how Ford fixed the issue, however the firm claims there’s no evidence of a charging issue.
According to CNBC, establishing a March 13th deadline offers supplier SK On more time to ramp up battery manufacturing at its Georgia plant and send the packs to the F-150 Lightning plant in Michigan. “In the next weeks, we will use our learnings and collaborate with SK On’s team to ensure we continue to provide high-quality battery packs – right down to the battery cells,” Ford added. “As REVC [Rouge Electric Vehicle Center] ramps up production, we will continue to hold previously manufactured vehicles as we work through engineering and part changes.”
Ford has sold fewer than 20,000 F-150 Lightning EVs since it began manufacturing last April. Still, the F-150 Lightning remains in high demand. Ford initially limited reservations to 200,000 in 2021 before reopening them in August of this year. The truck’s early success is hardly surprising, given that the F-Series has been America’s best-selling vehicle for 41 years.
Ford wanted to increase F-150 Lightning manufacturing to 150,000 units per year this year. The business stated last year that new battery technology will assist it in reaching a worldwide manufacturing pace of 600,000 EVs per year by the end of 2023. It’s unclear, though, how much the disruption has impacted their plans.
