Ford cuts planned 2024 production of electric F-150 Lightning in half

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Ford workers produce the electric F-150 Lightning pickup at the automaker’s Ford Rouge Electric Vehicle Center on Dec. 13, 2022.

Michael Wayland | CNBC

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.

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