Ford F-150 Lightning EV Production Restarts This March

Ford F-150 Lightning electric vehicle (EV) production is restarting this March after the renowned automaker paused manufacturing due to a battery issue that caught on fire last month.

The American carmaker confirmed that production of the all-electric pickup truck is set to kick off again in the middle of March.

Ford F-150 Lightning EV Production Restarts March 2023

As per a report by CBS News, the spokesperson of Ford, Emma Bergg, confirmed in a statement that Ford is planning to restart the production of its F-150 Lightning EV on March 13.

It has been nearly a month since the Michigan-based firm discovered an issue in the battery of one of its electric trucks.

Engadget notes in its news story that one of the F-150 Lightning EVs caught fire in a holding last February 4. Although Ford admits there is a battery issue, it remains unclear what specifically ignited the electric truck to light up with flames.

But despite that, the automaker says that they have worked with the supplier of its batteries, SK On, to address the issue. The giant firm further assures everyone that there is no charging fault at play.

Ford notes that "in the weeks ahead, we will continue to apply our learnings and work with SK On's team to ensure we continue delivering high-quality battery packs - down to the battery cells."

The carmaker announced that they are ramping up the production of the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center or shortly known as REVC. With that, Ford "will continue holding already-produced vehicles while we work through engineering and parts updates."

Ford Plans to Ramp Up F-150 Lightning Production This Year

The first-ever electric pickup truck of Ford, the F-150 Lightning, kicked off its production in April last year.

And since then, Engadget reports that the automaker has only sold roughly 20,000 units. It is thousands away from the reservations that the electric truck now holds, which goes beyond 200,000.

The Michigan firm is looking to ramp up the production of its electric pickup to keep up with the strong demand. It plans to manufacture around 150,000 trucks per year starting this 2023.

But with the recent setback, it remains to be seen if Ford is still on track with its production goals for the F-150 Lightning EV. After all, the battery issue paused its manufacturing for several weeks, now leading to more than a month.