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The
No. 2 U.S. automaker said the shipment halt began on Feb. 9. It
did not say when it expected to resume shipments that had begun
in January of the EV truck. A spokesperson declined to say what
quality issue was being checked.
Ford also said that this week it began shipping the first newly
designed gas-powered 2024 model F-150 pickups to dealers. Ford
said it expects "to ramp up shipments in the coming weeks as we
complete thorough launch quality checks to ensure these new
F-150s meet our high standards."
Automotive News reported that hundreds, if not thousands, of
2024 model gas-powered F-150 trucks had piled up in storage lots
in southeast Michigan since production began in December.
Ford said in September it would start shipping the new F-150 in
early 2024 and said Friday it was "on plan."
Last month, Ford said it would reduce production of its F-150
Lightning, as demand for electric vehicles (EVs) has been lower
than expected.
Ford said Friday production of the EV truck was continuing. In
January, the automaker said it would cut production at its
Michigan Rouge Electric Vehicle Center to one shift starting
April 1. In October, Ford temporarily cut one of three shifts at
the EV plant.
Ford told suppliers in December it planned to produce about
1,600 F-150 Lightning EV trucks per week starting in January,
roughly half of the 3,200 it previously had planned.
Ford sold 24,165 F-150 Lightning trucks last year in the U.S.,
up 55% from 2022, out of about 750,000 total F-150 U.S. sales.
Ford in August had said the plant that builds F-150 Lightning
could hit a 150,000-vehicle annualized production rate by
October. In 2022 it said it would double EV truck production.
(Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington Sourasis Bose in
Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and David Gregorio)
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