Ford pauses shipments of new F-150 Lightning EVs
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - SEPTEMBER 12: John Emmert, Ford General Manager, North America, Trucks, speaks at global reveral of the new Ford 2024 F-150 PowerBoost Hybrid at the 2023 North American International Detroit Auto Show on September 12, 2023 in Detr
Ford Motor Company said Friday that it has halted shipments of all 2024 model year F-150 Lightning electric pickup trucks so that the company could perform quality checks for an unspecified issue.
The Detroit automaker said the pause on shipments began on Feb. 9 and didn't say when it expected to resume shipments of the EV truck that had begun in January.
A Ford spokesperson declined to specify what quality issue is being checked while the stop-ship order is in place, Reuters reported. Ford did not immediately respond to FOX Business's request for comment.
Last month, Ford announced that it's reducing production levels for the F-150 Lightning by about half from the previously planned production rate of 3,200 per week to about 1,600 per week amid soft demand for EVs in the U.S. auto market.
FORD'S PROFITS GETTING EATEN UP BY EVS
The company will also reduce the number of shifts at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center where it builds the EV pickups to one effective April 1. The move will affect about 1,400 workers, including 700 who will move to the company's Michigan Assembly Plant.
Some will be placed in roles at the Rouge complex or other Ford facilities in southeast Michigan, while others can "take advantage of the Special Retirement Incentive Program agreed to in the 2023 Ford-UAW contract."
Ford began producing the F-150 Lightning in April 2022 and the company said last month that it sold more than 24,100 Lightning EV trucks in the U.S. in 2023. That amounted to a nearly 55% increase from the 15,600 it sold the prior year.
The automaker's delivery pause for new F-150 Lightning EVs comes as it began shipping the first newly designed gas-powered 2024 model F-150 pickups to dealers.
Ford said it expects to "ramp up shipments in the coming weeks as we complete thorough quality launch checks to ensure these new F-150s meet our high standards.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
The company had previously indicated that the gas-powered F-150s would be shipped in early 2024 and on Friday said it was "on plan."
FOX Business's Aislinn Murphy and Reuters contributed to this report. Read more of this story from FOX Business.