The U.S. auto giant Ford this week again reiterated plans to reduce production of the F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck, the company will shift the focus of production to two gasoline models.
Last month, Ford first announced it was cutting F-150 Lightning production capacity by about half. In a press release issued Friday, Ford said the decision will affect 1,400 workers and will take effect April 1st.
About 700 F-150 Lightning production workers at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan, will be relocated to the Michigan Assembly Plant to support production of the fuel-efficient Bronco and Bronco Raptor, as well as the upcoming Ranger and Ranger Raptor, the release said. The remaining workers will have the opportunity to secure positions at the Rouge complex in Dearborn or other southeast Michigan Ford plants, or opt for a special retirement incentive program included in the UAW-Ford contract.
Ford also said dozens of workers at parts plants that support F-150 Lightning production could also be affected, depending largely on how many employees apply for the retirement program, and Ford said it will place affected workers at its southeast Michigan plants.
Ford will also add 900 new employees at its Michigan assembly plant, adding a third shift of up to 1,600 people and increasing production to seven days a week from the current five, IT noted.
Ford said that while it expects EV sales to continue to grow this year, the rate of growth is lower than previously expected. In addition, the company has the capacity to expand production of both fuel and hybrid F-150 models, hoping to find the optimal balance of powertrain configurations to meet consumer demand.
“We’re leveraging our manufacturing flexibility to provide more choices for our customers while balancing growth and profitability,” said Jim Farley, Ford’s chief executive officer and president, “Customers love the F-150 Lightning, which is America’s best-selling electric pickup truck in the United States. We see a bright future for electric vehicles, especially with our upcoming introduction of digitally advanced electric vehicles and the start of the Tesla charging network this quarter.”
At press time, Ford had not responded to a request for comment on when it would return F-150 Lightning production capacity to current levels.
A report last month showed that only about half of Ford dealers had signed up for its “Model e” EV sales program, and some automakers have expressed concern about EV demand in recent months.
