Ford Stops F-150 Lightning Production Due to Battery Fire
This article has been updated.
Production and shipments of the all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning pickup has been halted because of a battery fire on a truck undergoing a predelivery quality check, according to news reports. The fire spread to two other vehicles.
Ford spokeswoman Emma Bergg had confirmed to the Detroit Free Press on Tuesday that a battery problem was behind the shutdown. In a separate statement on Wednesday, reported across multiple news outlets, she said there was no reason to believe trucks already in customers' possession face similar fire risk.
“By the end of next week, we expect to conclude our investigation and apply what we learn to the truck’s battery production processes,” Ford spokeswoman Emma Bergg said in the statement. “This could take a few weeks.”
USA Today reports Berg disclosed that the high-tech Rouge plant in Dearborn has been out of production for a week now as the team tries to figure out the issue. She declined to discuss the battery matter in detail. The vehicle is officially in a "stop build" and "stop ship" situation.
While there is no "stop sale" of current vehicles on dealer lots, new vehicles are not being shipped to Ford dealers at this time, Ford said.
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Frank Raczon
Raczon’s writing career spans nearly 25 years, including magazine publishing and public relations work with some of the industry’s major equipment manufacturers. He has won numerous awards in his career, including nods from the Construction Writers Association, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, and BtoB magazine. He is responsible for the magazine's Buying Files.