Feb. 16, 2023–Ford has announced a temporary halt on production of its electric F-150 Lightning pickup until “at least the end of next week” due to a potential battery issue, CNBC reports.
A day prior, Ford said that production had been suspended “at the beginning of last week” after a vehicle exhibited problems with the battery during a “pre-delivery quality inspection.”
Along with the updated timing, the automaker has said they believe their engineers have found the cause of the issue, with an investigation to be completed at the end of next week. Adjustments made to the battery as a result could take “a few weeks,” however.
No incidents have been reported of the issue in vehicles already purchased by consumers. Ford has said that retailers with the vehicle in their inventory may proceed with selling them.
Ford CEO Jim Farley outlined “execution issues” with the F-150 Lightning to investors earlier this month, citing it as a cause for dissatisfactory fourth-quarter earnings.
Farley has stated that the company must make changes in order to perform better; but that deep, integral change is needed.
“This is really about redesigning what we do in the 120-year-old part of the company,” he said during a Wolfe Research conference.
