Ford F-150 electric production halted

Ford announced the indefinite suspension of production of the F-150 Lightning, the 100% electric version of the best-selling pickup truck in the United States. The stoppage was mainly due to problems in the supply chain, worsened by a fire in an aluminum factory belonging to Novelis, one of the brand’s main suppliers.

The fire directly affected the supply of components used in the assembly of the F-150 Lightning, produced at the Dearborn, Michigan, factory, and ended up halting the entire assembly line. The American manufacturer reported that the problem is temporary, but did not give a deadline for the return of production.

Ford returns to prioritizing combustion pickup trucks

Thanks to this delay, Ford then decided to prioritize the gasoline and hybrid versions of the F-150 and F-Series Super Duty line, that is, the brand’s most profitable. The plan is to increase production of these models in 2026, adding a third shift and hiring more than 1,200 employees at the Dearborn factory, in addition to new positions at other plants.

This new measure should allow the manufacture of more than 45,000 additional F-150s in 2026, while the electric variant remains idle. According to the automaker, the objective now is to meet the strong demand for traditional versions, which continue to be preferred by the North American public and more profitable for the company.

Financial impact and company reaction

Ford estimates that the fire at the Novelis plant could generate losses of up to US$1 billion (around R$5.3 billion) between 2025 and 2026. CEO Jim Farley stated that the company is working to find new sources of aluminum and recover production capacity as soon as possible.

“We are working diligently with Novelis and other suppliers to minimize the impact in 2025 and fully recover production in 2026,” Farley said.

Even with the unpleasant scenario, Ford recorded record revenue in the third quarter of US$50.5 billion, an increase of 9% compared to the previous year. Net profit was US$2.4 billion, which shows that pickup trucks continue to be the brand’s financial pillar.

F-150 Lightning is 100% battery powered

The F-150 Lightning remains one of the most powerful electric pickup trucks ever produced and one of the best-selling in the world. In the entry-level versions, it has a 98 kWh battery, 442 hp and 107.1 kgfm of torque. Configurations with a 131 kWh battery reach 580 hp and maintain the same maximum torque.

Here in Brazil, the Ford F-150 is sold in three configurations: Lariat and Lariat Black, both for R$560,000 and the F-150 Tremor, which costs R$580,000.

Do you believe that the Ford F-150 Lightning would be successful in Brazil? Leave your comment!

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