Only a third of the 2,100 workers originally working at the plant, about 700, will remain in their jobs. The remaining 1,400 people will face two choices: transfer to the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne (which produces Bronco and Ranger models) or accept the $50,000 negotiated with the union last year (Note: currently about 362,000 RMB) Pension scheme.

A new shift will be added at the Michigan assembly plant in an effort to boost Ford’s finances through sales of gas-powered models. Ford’s current sales of fuel models are still strong, which can provide the company with a stable flow of funds, while sales of electric models have been tepid.

A Ford spokesman said no employees would lose their jobs as a result of the personnel changes.

Ford lowered its F-150 Lightning production target late last year as the company needed to evaluate the optimal strategic output of its electric pickup truck. In February, Ford paused deliveries of the F-150 Lightning to prioritize delivery of the fuel-powered F-150 pickup truck.

Earlier this week, Ford Chief Financial Officer John Lawler reiterated to investors at a conference that the company is adjusting its strategy, including purchasing decisions, to remain competitive in a saturated market with fierce competition. Lawler acknowledged that Ford may have overestimated its capacity needs when it began producing electric vehicles.

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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.

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From the appearance, the new car adopts an exclusive blue paint, and some body panels are made of carbon fiber to reduce weight. The car is equipped with an off-road package, using a black front bumper with three fog lights on each side of the bumper. The wheels use a combination of 18-inch rims + 37-inch outer diameter AT all-terrain tires. The wheel arches are also further widened, which can Greatly improve off-road performance.

Looking at the side of the body, the car is painted in lightning, supplemented by a small amount of red embroidery, giving the new car a bit more of a rally car feel. The suspension is equipped with Fox high-performance off-road shock absorbers, with a front ground clearance of 343mm and a rear ground clearance of 279mm. In addition, the car is also available with a road package, which has 20-inch wheels, road tires and a lower suspension. Looking at the rear of the car, the cargo box is equipped with a full-size spare tire, and the rear bumper has also been upgraded for off-road use, with a larger departure angle.

From the interior, the car is equipped with a full LCD instrument panel and a large central control screen. The most eye-catching thing in the interior is the towering handbrake lever, which uses a hollow aluminum alloy lightweight design and looks very exaggerated. The car is equipped with Recaro brand sports seats, which can provide excellent wrapping and lateral support, and four-point seat belts can further improve safety.

In terms of power, the car is equipped with a dual-motor four-wheel drive system with a maximum power of 588 horsepower, a maximum torque of 1050N·m, and is equipped with a 131kWh battery pack. The performance parameters and cruising range of the new car have not yet been announced. For reference, the regular F-150 Lightning model has an acceleration time of 0-96km/h in 4.5 seconds and a cruising range of approximately 515 kilometers.

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Both models are positioned as midsize electric pickups, starting at about $60,000, and one advantage of the Ford F-150 Lightning is that the front trunk is nearly twice as large as the Cybertruck’s.

Based on Ford’s latest technology patent application, the company hopes to further expand its advantages and provide car owners with a richer and more powerful storage expansion experience.

This patent is titled “Front luggage compartment including a movable platform”, which further expands the advantages of the front luggage compartment by folding and expanding it. Attached are the patent sketch as follows:

Ford’s design split the front trunk into two parts, with the front changed to a pull-out drawer and the rear now transformed into three storage cabinets.

The design takes into account a variety of future application scenarios, including outdoor cooking, storage, resting, etc.

Ford also says in the patent that the front trunk can do more with additional USB Type-C and 240V outlets.

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He said the company sold nearly 4,400 electric trucks last month, an increase of more than 100% compared to last year and the best-ever monthly sales of the Ford F-150 Lightning.

It’s worth noting that Ford Lightning sales fell 46% in the third quarter. Ford sold 3,712 Lightning models in October, a 52.4% increase from 2022.

Ford said in September that F-150 Lightning production was picking up after a six-week shutdown. Ford believes it can triple production of its electric pickup trucks after it completes a revamp of its Rouge EV plant in Michigan.

Ford announced last month that it would “refocus and downsize some investments” including at its electric vehicle plant in Michigan. The plan calls for investment cuts of nearly $1.5 billion (Note: currently about 10.71 billion RMB) and is expected to reduce layoffs to 1,700 people.

In early February this year, Ford said it would create 2,500 new jobs and produce 35 GWh of LFP batteries per year starting in 2026 (which can power about 400,000 electric vehicles).

Ford now expects to produce about 20 GWh of LFP cells per year, which is more than 40% less than originally planned. The plant is expected to produce LFP batteries for about 230,000 electric vehicles per year.

Additionally, Ford has pushed back its goal of 600,000 electric vehicles until next summer, and the company has cut three shifts at its Rouge EV plant.

Ford chief communications officer Mark Truby said the decision was based on “the demand and expected growth of electric vehicles” and that Ford was cutting about $12 billion (currently about 85.68 billion RMB) in electric vehicles.

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Ford recently reported second-quarter earnings, showing a widening loss in its electric vehicle division. Ford hasn’t given up on its electric vehicle plans, though the company said on Thursday that the rollout could take longer than previously expected.

“We were surprised by the popularity of the hybrid system in the F-150 pickup,” Farley said on Ford’s second-quarter earnings call. More than 10 percent of F-150 pickup customers opted for the hybrid model, he said, and This proportion is still increasing. Ford also offers a hybrid version of the small Maverick pickup. The car was more successful, Farley said, with more than half of Maverick buyers (56 percent) opting for the $1,500 optional hybrid powertrain over the standard four-cylinder engine .

So why is Ford doubling down on hybrids at a time when the industry is making a big move toward pure electric vehicles? “What customers really like is when we take a hybrid system that’s more efficient for certain duty cycles and add new features because of the battery,” Farley said. One of those new features is Ford’s “Pro Power Onboard” system , which lets customers use the vehicle’s electricity through the pickup’s outlet to power tools or a refrigerator on the jobsite, eliminating the need to carry an extra generator.

“We’re seeing a lot of customers like this combination of using the battery for something other than moving the vehicle, so we’re just listening to the market,” Farley said.

Ford has touted the capabilities of its all-electric F-150 Lightning pickup, which can power an entire house for days. Possibly after listening to customers, Ford found that the popularity of this feature outweighed the desire for an all-electric vehicle. As executives noted Thursday, electric vehicle adoption has been slower than expected. So, in the meantime, Ford could offer a middle-of-the-road option for drivers who crave electric power but have concerns about EVs by offering hybrid models in its internal-combustion engine lineup.

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The fire occurred on Feb. 4 of this year at a Ford vehicle parking location while the company was conducting a pre-delivery quality inspection. Ford said the root cause of the fire was confirmed shortly after the incident.

Following this incident, Ford suspended production and shipping of the F-150 Lightning. As for the reason for the suspension of the F-150 Lightning, Ford claimed that SK On’s faulty battery was the cause of the suspension, but SK On countered that it was a one-time issue and that there was no quality problem with the battery.

SK On resumed production of the battery line for Ford’s electric pickup F-150 Lightning in late February this year. At the time, sources said that with the restart of SK On’s battery line, Ford was also expected to resume production and shipments of the F-150 Lightning in the near future.

On March 2, Ford said it would begin production of the F-150 Lightning electric pickup again on March 13.

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Ford said the “root cause” of the problem was at the Georgia plant of its South Korean battery supplier, SK On. Ford spokeswoman Emma Bergg said in a statement that the company has not received any reports of accidents or injuries related to the recall.

“Working with SK On we have identified the root cause of the issue and quality measures have been taken,” Bergg said. “Production is scheduled to resume on Monday with cleaned and tested battery packs.”

Bergg confirmed that the affected vehicles are either in dealerships or have been delivered to customers. The company has been in close contact with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is expected to issue a recall notice next week.

Ford abruptly halted production of its flagship electric pickup, the F-150 Lightning, on February 4 after one of the vehicles caught fire in a parking lot affiliated with its Dearborn, Michigan plant. Two other trucks. SK On previously called the issue “rare” and said it was working on a solution.

The post Ford recalls 18 F-150 Lightning electric pickups due to battery fire appeared first on TechGoing.

Previously, Ford has demonstrated the Mustang Mach-E 1400 with 7 motors and a total power of 1,400 horsepower, and the Electric SuperVan with a total power of 2,000 horsepower and a 0-100 acceleration of 2 seconds. It is not ruled out that this Ford high-performance pure electric pickup has the stronger power possible.

Details about the new car, including performance and upgrades, are still unclear, but Ford has decided to start developing high-end power units in 2023 to prepare for the upcoming F1.

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