(December 12, 2023) Ford is dialing back planned output of the electric F-150 Lightning pickup by half next year because of "changing market demand," a steep pullback of a high-profile nameplate the automaker spent most of this year working to build in larger numbers, according to a report in the Automotive News.

According to a planning memo obtained by Automotive News, Ford has told suppliers to prepare for average volume of around 1,600 Lightnings a week at its Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Mich., starting in January. It had planned to assemble an average of 3,200 a week, toward an annual goal of 150,000.

Ford in October temporarily idled one of three shifts at the Lightning plant, affecting about 700 workers.

Output of gasoline-powered pickups at plants in Michigan and Missouri is expected to be essentially unchanged, the company said in the memo. Ford, in a statement Monday, said it "will continue to match production to customer demand."

The news comes amid an industrywide pullback in EV investment due to slower-than-expected sales growth.

The supplier memo said Ford was to reach a goal of 3,200 Lightnings per week by Oct. 30 of this year, although it’s unclear how that was affected by the idled shift. A spokesperson declined to say what the current weekly output was.

Source: Automotive News