Ford Motor announced January 19 that it would be reducing the number of F-150 Lighting pickup trucks it produces due in part to a slower demand for EVs.
According to Reuters, the American car manufacturing giant said that it would be cutting back production at its Michigan Rouge Electric Vehicle Center to just one shift starting April 1, 2024. The company had previously said in October that it would temporarily cut one of three shifts at the plant.
In December, Ford told its suppliers that it was planning to produce about 1,600 F-150 Lighting EVs weekly starting January 2024, half of the 3,200 it had previously planned to produce on a weekly basis.
Ford said that the decision is expected to impact about 1,400 workers at the Michigan-based factory. About 700 employees will be transferred to the company’s Michigan Assembly Plant while others will be placed in roles at the Rouge Complex or other facilities. The organization also said that a few dozen employees at its component plants could be affected by the cutbacks.
Ford said that it still expects to see continued growth in global EV sales in 2024, albeit “less than anticipated.”
Ford isn’t the only company suffering from a reduced demand for EVs, because General Motors announced in October that it would postpone the opening of a $4 billion electric truck plant in Michigan by one year.
