Ford Motor Company has announced a strategic shift in its production priorities, focusing on its gas and hybrid F-150 and F-Series Super Duty trucks over the all-electric F-150 Lightning. This decision comes as the company aims to recover from losses associated with a recent fire at a crucial aluminum supplier’s factory, prompting Ford to prioritize more profitable models.
According to TechCrunch, Ford’s gas and hybrid trucks have taken precedence in production scheduling due to their higher profitability and lower aluminum usage compared to the all-electric F-150 Lightning. Despite the electric truck’s sales growth, which saw a 39.7% increase year-over-year with 10,005 units sold in the third quarter, Ford’s gas-powered F-Series trucks continue to dominate the market.
The automaker sold a staggering 545,522 vehicles in the third quarter, with 207,732 being F-Series trucks. While the F-150 Lightning remains the best-selling electric pickup in the U.S., Ford is currently focused on ramping up production of its gas and hybrid models to meet demand and offset the impact of the supply chain disruption caused by the fire at the aluminum supplier’s plant.
Ford has assured that production of the F-150 Lightning will resume at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan once the situation stabilizes, though an exact timeline has not been provided.
Source: TechCrunch