Ford has announced a temporary pause in production for its F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck from Nov. 18 to Jan. 6, as reported by Reuters.
The automaker stated to Reuters that the production adjustment aims to achieve a balance between sales growth and profitability. This six-week pause coincides with the holiday closure of all Ford factories in December.
2022 Ford F-150 Lightning pre-production
Ford reported a 45% increase in U.S. EV sales for its namesake brand this year, with Lightning sales exceeding 7,100 trucks in the three months ending Sept. 30, making up 3.6% of total F-150 sales, according to Reuters.
The decision to pause production follows Ford’s earlier reduction to one shift in April. In response to decreased demand for higher-priced Lightning variants, the automaker opted to slow production in 2023 rather than further decrease prices. Despite initial price promises around $40,000, actual prices remained significantly higher throughout 2023.
2022 Ford F-150 Lightning pre-production
Price adjustments have been ongoing, with Ford reducing sticker prices of certain versions by up to $5,500 in April, coinciding with the latest production cut. These changes affected mid-range models, while prices for the base F-150 Lightning Pro Standard Range and range-topping Platinum Extended Range remained unchanged.
Ford has re-evaluated its EV strategy, canceling a three-row electric SUV, introducing an electric midsize pickup, and delaying the launch of the Lightning’s successor to 2027 from 2025. The company also plans to incorporate more hybrid models in larger segments to address potential profitability challenges with all-electric models.