Photo: Jim Farley
Ford is extending its delay to F-150 Lightning production, after an issue earlier this month caused one of the electric trucks to catch on fire, according to a statement from the automaker on Friday (via CNBC).
The news comes after Ford paused production of the F-150 Lightning last week, saying that the halt would last at least through this week.
Battery supplier SK has begun building batteries for the F-150 Lightning again at its Georgia plant, after Ford halted production of the pickups. The automaker said that the supplier will need more time “to ensure they are back to building high-quality cells and to deliver them to the Lightning production line.”
“The teams worked quickly to identify the root cause of the issue,” Ford said in the statement. “We agree with SK’s recommended changes in their equipment and processes for SK’s cell production lines.”
The battery fire took place in one of Ford’s pre-delivery holding lots as one Lightning model charged during a quality check phase. The company is just the latest in several “execution issues” cited by CEO Jim Farley.
Farley has also noted that Ford’s electric vehicles (EVs) won’t become profitable until 2025, after the company missed out on around $2 billion in 2022.
Ford Announces $3.5 Billion EV Battery Plant in Michigan, Using CATL Technology https://t.co/YXd6Y6eY3X
— TeslaNorth.com (@RealTeslaNorth) February 13, 2023
