Ford has stopped production the F-150 Lightning due to a potential problem with the electric truck’s battery. The potential problem does not appear to affect Lightning units already built and at dealers as there has been no stop-sale order issued by Ford.
Spokesperson Emma Bergg confirmed the production stop with Motor Authority, who first reported the issue on Tuesday. Bergg noted however that along with the stop-build order there has also been an in-transit stop-ship order issued for the Lightning.
Bergg did not clarify the details of the potential problem, but did explain it was first noticed during Ford’s pre-delivery quality inspections and that no issues or incidents have been reported from existing owners.
Ford’s engineering team is now investigating the issue and there is no timeline for when the production an in-transit stop-ship orders will be removed. “It depends on how long it will take to conduct the root cause analysis,” Bergg told Motor Authority.
All of this comes just one day after Ford announced plans to build a $3.5 billion LFP battery plant in Michigan through a partnership with China’s CATL. The Detroit-based automaker plans to introduce the cheaper LFP battery packs to the Lightning and the Mustang Mach-E in 2024. The LFP plant is not expected to begin production until 2026.
Ford also announced this morning it will be cutting 3,800 jobs across Europe as the automaker shifts to developing EVs.
Ford partners with CATL for $3.5 billion LFP battery plant in Michigan
