Ford Motor Company has adjusted its production priorities in the aftermath of a fire at a critical aluminum supplier’s factory, focusing on gas and hybrid F-150 trucks rather than the all-electric F-150 Lightning. According to TechCrunch, the decision to pause F-150 Lightning production at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan stems from the higher profitability and lower aluminum usage of gas and hybrid F-Series trucks.
Despite the success of the F-150 Lightning, Ford’s sales data reveals a significant gap between electric and traditional models. In the third quarter, Ford sold 10,005 F-150 Lightning pickups, marking a 39.7% year-over-year increase, while delivering a total of 545,522 vehicles, with 207,732 being F-Series trucks. The company has sold 23,034 F-150 Lightning trucks in 2025, emphasizing the ongoing demand for electric pickups.
A Ford spokesperson mentioned that although the F-150 Lightning leads electric pickup sales in the U.S., the current focus remains on ramping up gas and hybrid truck production post-fire incident at the aluminum supplier’s plant. Ford plans to resume F-150 Lightning production at the appropriate time, pending the recovery of the aluminum supplier’s operations.
Source: TechCrunch