Ford has announced at least a seven-week pause in production of its F-150 Lightning in the face of weak demand for the electric pickup truck. The pause will begin in mid-November and extend through early January 2025.
The F-150 Lightning, an all-electric version of America’s best-selling pickup, was initially seen as the flagship for Ford’s EV program. Ford invested heavily in its development, yet, despite a promising start, the Lightning has struggled to maintain its momentum, likely thanks in part to the launch of the Cybertruck.
That weakened demand has forced Ford to idle production of the F-150 Lightning at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center. According to Automotive News, the Lightning production line will shut down on November 15, and not resume until January 6, 2025, after employees return from a Christmas break.
You might recall that at the start of the year, Ford slashed production of the Lightning in half to better align with demand. That adjustment came just a few months after the Detroit-based automaker completed factory upgrades that increased their production capacity to 150,000 Lightning trucks per year.
Ford’s third-quarter financial results highlight the challenges its EV division faces. The company reported a 5.5% increase in revenue, totaling $46 billion. However, Ford’s net income dropped by 25% to $892 million, partly due to Ford’s EV division, Model e, which posted a quarterly loss of $1.2 billion, pushing year-to-date losses to approximately $3.7 billion. That figure is expected to grow to between $5 billion and $5.5 billion by the end of the year.
Earlier this year, Ford also scaled back the workforce at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center, reassigning or offering retirement packages to about one-third of the staff. Now, with an estimated 100-day supply of F-150s on dealer lots, Ford is choosing to idle production and focus on clearing inventory. When production resumes in January 2025, Ford says it will assess market conditions and adjust its EV strategy accordingly.
