Ford pauses F-150 Lightning production as Tesla Cybertruck heats up

Ford will pause production of its F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck starting in mid-November for almost two months as it struggles with decreased demand, increased competition, and losses in its electric vehicle business. 

“We continue to adjust production for an optimal mix of sales growth and profitability,” a Ford spokesperson told TechCrunch. The news was previously reported by Automotive News.

The decision to halt production comes as the Tesla Cybertruck has pushed past Ford’s popular Mach-E to become the third best-selling EV in America. It also follows incumbent rival General Motors beating Ford in electric vehicle sales for the third-quarter. GM sold 32,095 EVs, topping Ford’s 23,509 electric models. 

During an earnings call earlier this week, Ford said it expected full-year Model e revenue to hit $1.2 billion. That’s on top of projected losses of about $5.5 billion, which is slightly lower than expected, but still higher than losses in 2023. Model e is Ford’s EV business, which the automaker reports on separately from its Ford Blue gas-powered car business and Ford Pro commercial business. 

The F-150 Lightning is produced at Ford’s Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan. The automaker will pause production starting November 15, which is a Friday. The plant will remain closed until January 6, 2025. The pause includes the holiday break week that Ford usually gives to its U.S. plants starting December 23. 

The pause follows cuts of one-third of staff at the plant earlier this year, and it comes ahead of the U.S. election next week. Government support for EVs has been an issue of debate in Michigan, which is a major swing state. 

In response to weakening demand for EVs and rising costs to produce battery-powered cars, Ford said in August it would delay plans to produce an electric three-row SUV and a next-generation EV pickup. 

A year ago, Ford slashed its production target for the F-150 Lightning to match demand. 

During the earnings call this week, Ford CEO Jim Farley noted that the automaker is focused on hybrid vehicles. 

“Most of our competitors don’t offer hybrid on an F-150 or a Maverick. And this has been a fantastic revenue opportunity for us. We frankly can’t keep up with the demand,” Farley said. “And I think that has encouraged us to put hybrid across a whole lineup and be more curious about other partial electric solutions, which we’ll talk to you about.” 

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