In a surprising move, Ford Motor Company is set to temporarily halt production of its highly anticipated F-150 Lightning pickup truck. The production pause, slated to last six weeks from November 18th to January 6th, comes amidst mounting pressure from Tesla’s Cybertruck, which has emerged as the reigning champion of the electric pickup truck market in the U.S.
While Ford has remained tight-lipped about the production pause, the timing coincides with Tesla’s dominating performance in the third quarter. Data from Kelley Blue Book reveals that Tesla sold a staggering 16,692 Cybertrucks in the third quarter, eclipsing the Lightning’s sales of 7,162 units. The Cybertruck’s success even extends to outperforming Ford’s flagship EV, the Mustang Mach-E, in the same period.
This news raises eyebrows in the industry, particularly as Ford’s overall EV performance in the third quarter fell short of expectations. The automaker managed to sell only 23,509 EVs in the U.S., trailing behind Tesla and General Motors, who have been aggressively pushing new EV models.
The production pause on the Lightning comes at a time when Ford has already faced several setbacks in its EV strategy. In August, Ford scrapped its plans to build a three-row electric SUV, initially slated for production in 2025. Additionally, the company delayed its plans for a new electric version of its F-150 pickup to 2027 and announced that it will start manufacturing a new electric commercial van in 2026.
Ford’s EV segment, known as “Model e,” reported an EBIT loss of $1.2 billion in the third quarter, despite efforts to reduce costs. The segment’s total loss this year through the end of September has reached $3.7 billion, leading Ford to project a full-year EBIT loss of $5 billion for the segment.
The production pause on the F-150 Lightning, coupled with these setbacks, begs the question: Is Ford reassessing its EV strategy in the face of Tesla’s rapid dominance? The market will be watching closely to see how Ford responds to these challenges and whether they can regain their footing in the rapidly evolving EV landscape.
