Ford said it will hold its temporary hiatus on production and shipping of its electric F-150 Lightning until at least the end of next week while it continues to investigate an issue with the truck’s battery. However, the full investigation could “take a few weeks.”
Ford spokeswoman Emma Bergg said in an email:
We will suspend production at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center until at least the end of next week. During a standard quality inspection prior to Lightning delivery, one vehicle showed a problem with the battery. We believe we have identified the root cause of this issue. By the end of next week, we expect to wrap up our research and apply what we learned to the truck battery production process; this could take a few weeks. We will continue to maintain the vehicles already produced while we work on engineering and process updates.
He added: “We are not aware of any incidents of this problem in the field and we do not believe that F-150 Lightnings already in the hands of customers will be affected by this problem.”
The automaker first said it would halt production of the F-150 Lightning on February 14, citing a potential battery issue. But he declined to release any additional details at the time, citing an ongoing investigation. The stoppage of production and shipments was first reported on tuesday by the Motor Authority.
“We are not aware of any incidents of this issue in the field and we do not believe that F-150 Lightnings already in customer hands will be affected by this issue.”
Ford CEO Jim Farley has cited quality issues and the high number of recalls issued by his company as some of the reasons he is disappointed with Ford’s financial performance of late.
Battery problems have been cited in various EV recalls in recent years, ranging from software glitches to more serious fire hazards. Chevy notably recalled its entire Bolt EV lineup after several fires were reported, resulting in a multi-month production outage.
The F-150 Lightning is the most important EV in Ford’s lineup, and possibly the entire industry, given its status as the electrified version of America’s best-selling pickup truck. Wall Street analysts are closely watching its production and delivery process, as it is seen as an indicator of American car buyers’ appetite for electric vehicles.
