Ford to cut production of F-150 Lightning electric pickup

Jan. 19 (UPI) -- Ford said Friday it is slashing the production of the all-electric F-150 Lightning because of sales, affecting some 1,400 employees in Michigan.

The auto giant said the move was being made to match the F-150 Lightning, the company's best-selling electric pickup, with customer demand. Ford said sales for the Lightning were up 55% in 2023.

Ford did not say how many F-150 Lightning pickups will not be made in 2024. It did say that 700 of the 1,400 employees affected will be transferred to its Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Mich., from the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn.

The remaining 700 will take on new roles at the Dearborn plant or move other various other facilities in southeastern Michigan. Ford said others may be eligible for a special early retirement plan offered by the company.

"We are taking advantage of our manufacturing flexibility to offer customers choices while balancing our growth and profitability," said Ford President and CEO Jim Farley. "Customers love the F-150 Lightning, America's best-selling EV pickup.

"We see a bright future for electric vehicles for specific consumers, especially with our upcoming digitally advanced EVs and access to Tesla's charging network beginning next quarter."

Ford also announced that it would create almost 900 new jobs and a third crew at the Wayne plant because of increased demand for the Bronco and Bronco Raptor, along with the Ranger and Ranger Raptor.

The news comes on the heels of Ford cutting the price of the F-150 Lightning in July from $6,000 to nearly $10,000 because of the cheaper costs of batteries. Various versions of the Lightning had costs from $50,000 for lower-end models to $92,000 for premium models.