DETROIT (Michigan News Source) – Ford Motor Company announced that it plans to cut back on the production of the F-150 Lightning pickup truck at the start of next year by 50%, following historic investments. 

The decision revealed after a company third quarter earnings call indicated that it would be dramatically scaling back Electric Vehicle production, from its current weekly target of 3,200 trucks per week to about 1,600 Lightning trucks per week beginning in January at its Rough Electric Vehicle Center. 

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The Dearborn based center opened in 2021, and as of August employed more than 2,000 employees, the majority were hourly employees. Ford executives were already expressing uncertainty about the market. 

“We feel very good right now. But the future is somewhat unpredictable and volatile. We’ll have to see how the market plays out. We’re seeing competition increase,” said Marin Gjaja, chief customer officer for Ford Model e, according to the Detroit Free Press. “We’re going to have to adjust with the market. … We look at the U.S. and EVs are growing 40% or more on volume year on year for the automotive industry. That’s incredible growth.” 

Yet, it was also in August that the company announced plant expansions and tripling its production capacity by the fall. 

“While the temporary shutdown of the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center limited customer deliveries this summer, the facility is now ready to accelerate the ramp-up process to unlock supply and help meet demand for the truck,” the company announced. “The Rouge Electric Vehicle Center is scheduled to build more than 70,000 F-150 Lightning trucks in calendar year 2023 with production for U.S. customers expected to ramp in the fall.”

Other third quarter updates include a shift in Ford’s EV plan, which is expanding the hybrid vehicles, including the introduction of the F-150 Lightning Flash pickup. 

“Ford is able to balance production of gas, hybrid and electric vehicles to match the speed of EV adoption in a way that others can’t,” said John Lawler, Ford Chief Financial Officer. “That’s obviously good for customers, who get the products they want – and good for us, too, because disciplined capital allocation and not chasing scale at all costs maximizes profitability and cash flow.”

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The company experienced lulls in production and profits after the historic United Auto Worker Stand Up Strike, and only recently announced that it would be continuing operations at its Ford BlueOval Plant in Marshall, MI. 

The Electric Battery plant earned the “Worst Economic Development Deal of the Year” award from the Center for Economic Accountability group earlier this month.