Ford halts production and shipments of electric F-150 Lightning over battery concerns

Ford paused the F-150 Lightning’s production and shipments due to a potential battery issue, the company said today. The scope and nature of the battery concern is unknown at this time. The stoppage started at the beginning of last week, and Ford has yet to estimate when it will restart production.

According to a statement provided by Ford, the stoppage occurred after a vehicle failed a post-production quality control test. The company tells TechCrunch it is unaware of any incidences of this issue in the field. As a result, dealers can still sell Lightning models on the lot.

Since launching the vehicle less than a year ago, Ford has only issued one recall for the vehicle, and it was related to a tire pressure sensor. Ford has yet to issue a recall or notice associated with this instance.

This manufacturing pause comes as Ford is ramping up production of the Lightning. Ford said previously it intended to make 150,000 Lightning models by the end of 2023. Ford reported it shipped 13,258 Lightning models in 2022.

The F-150 Lightning is leading the market in the growing EV pickup war. Cross-town rival General Motors released its first EV pickup, the high-end Hummer EV, around the same time as the F-150 Lightning but is being manufactured at a much slower pace. GM’s mass-market Silverado EV is scheduled for a public release in the 2024 model year. RAM just revealed its production-bound RAM 1500 REV, which is expected for the 2025 model year. The Rivian R1T also launched in 2022 as the upstart company spun up its limited production. As for the Tesla Cybertruck? Ask Elon. It’s MIA though Tesla will still take $100 for a reservation.

Ford halts production and shipments of electric F-150 Lightning over battery concerns by Matt Burns originally published on TechCrunch