Posted on 12/12/2023 8:25:28 AM PST by Red Badger
KEY POINTS
* Ford Motor will cut planned production of its all-electric F-150 Lightning pickup roughly in half next year.
* It marks a major reversal after the automaker significantly increased plant capacity for the EV in 2023.
* EV demand has been slower than many expected, as prices and interest rates remain high. But sales of the F-150 Lightning have steadily increased this year.
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DETROIT — Ford Motor will cut planned production of its all-electric F-150 Lightning pickup roughly in half next year, marking a major reversal after the automaker significantly increased plant capacity for the electric vehicle in 2023.
The new production plans call for average volume of around 1,600 F-150 Lightnings a week at Ford’s Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan, starting in January, according to a source familiar with the decision. The automaker most recently planned to produce roughly 3,200 of the vehicles on average per week.
“We’ll continue to match production with customer demand,” a Ford spokeswoman said Monday.
Ford executives have recently said the automaker will match production to demand, as the company cancels or postpones $12 billion in upcoming EV investments.
The production cuts for the F-150 Lightning were first detailed in a planning memo to suppliers obtained by Automotive News. The memo cited “changing market demand” for the cuts, according to the publication.
EV demand has been slower than many expected, as prices and interest rates remain high. Automakers are working to cut costs of producing all-electric vehicles, while rethinking production and product plans for the years ahead.
Ford spent six weeks earlier this year to increase capacity of the F-150 Lightning at the Michigan plant, which was expected to be capable of producing 150,000 of the all-electric trucks, three times its initial planned output.
Sales of the F-150 Lightning have steadily increased in 2023, notching a monthly record of roughly 4,400 sold in November. The company has only sold 20,365 of the trucks this year through November, up 54% from a year earlier.
“please produce more maverick, i will not go full electric, until they make it as easy as pumping gas....”
And the Ford Brain trust made the Hybrid power train in the Maverick that was standard in 2023 optional and reduced availability for 2024. Sure the hybrid only has 2000 lb tow capacity, vs 4,000 with the now standard 2.0 turbo ecoboost (with tow package) but most people don’t want to tow beyond a couple jet ski’s which the hybrid can do easily. They really are lost over at Ford.
Non Sequitur
“Mary Barra stopped production of EV;s at Gm a couple of weeks ago.
TOTAL STOP”
Nope
Why is the government allowing some people to choose? Soon it will demand people buy EVs to transport their gas stoves and air conditioners to authorized disposal sites.
Light bulbs were banned and replaced by wimpy little beads we are allowed to buy. Expensive.
The street lights focus downward in a small circle only. Dark between the light poles. Tungsten filament and other older lights showed a wider radius beneath them. Too bad.
I hate the new world forced on me.
Ford says it’s reducing production of the F-150 Lightning electric pickup vehicle as it adjusts to weaker-than-expected electric vehicle sales growth
When the Federal $$$ run out, any business needs to adapt or fail.
A German auto manufacturer announced the end of two EV model production. When I decided to research a little further, I discovered that the government subsidies had ceased. There is no ‘market’ for this stuff.
I also remember, about 10 years ago, a new chief executive of one of the big auto companies. After a few weeks on the job, he stated something close to this: “I thought I was going to run a car company. Feels more like a health care manager.” What he was alluding to is the thousands and thousands of retired auto workers. These retirees are receiving $$$ and benefits, but they do not produce one widget. I do not blame the retirees themselves, but any company that agrees to these kind of long-term expenses will have to obtain the money from somewhere. When the recent influx of Federal dollars runs out, they still need to fund the retirees. They have to raise the price of every product in order to fund this retirement system.
After the 2008 Banking Crisis, the US Govt. could have let the Big Auto companies file for some kind of re-organization,where the GOLD Plated Health Care Plans were reduced.
But Nooooooo.
Why are auto worker retirees such a “Special Class” of people????
To me the problem is cost whether it’s EV or ICE. My 2010 cost somewhere under $25K. That same truck today is in the $60-$80K range. It might as well be a moon lander - I can’t afford that. That’s more than the house I built in 1984.....it’s a damned mortgage payment.
A whole lot of money and time wasted on the past few years of EV changeover and research at the auto companies.
Dems always start with a suggestion, biased media stories glorifying the policy, then incentives forcibly taken from taxpayers to give to the policy, then mandatory federal demands with prison and fines for noncompliance. The destruction of the fossil fuel industry by regulations and laws is part of that but soon “you will buy an EV——that is an order.”
Example: tungsten filament traditional light bulbs. Can’t buy them. Now replaced by tiny LED types and variations that do not provide the same light coverage such as under a street light.
Old: a wide area brightened.
New: Strictly the place straight under the light on the street.
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