Ford F-150 Lightning production halted until 2025

New production of the Lightning will be put on hold to address high inventory.

Ford has announced that it will be halting new production on the F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck. The vehicle was meant to be Ford’s flagship move into all-electric, but the company has made statements that suggest the vehicle may not be selling as well as Ford wanted. The company specifically cited the need to address high inventory and losses in its push towards January 2025.

Ford announced its decision for a seven-week shutdown of production on new F-150 Lightning models in a statement to Automotive News this week. The company shared that the production halt will take place immediately, and the 730 employees working on the Lightning in its Michigan factory will be placed on temporary layoff. “We continue to adjust production for an optimal mix of sales growth and profitability,” Ford said in its statement, sharing that its Model e electric vehicle segment is expected to be responsible for about $5 billion in losses on the year.

This marks the latest setback for Ford in its effort to move into the EV industry. The company had already halted plans for a Tennessee EV plant and canceled plans for a three-row electric SUV outright. The company stressed that avoiding narrow losses and sorting out high inventory are some of the biggest priorities during shutdown.

It will remain to be seen how Ford moves after the hiatus on the F-150 Lightning. Be sure to stay tuned to our electric vehicles topic for the latest news and coverage.