Ford F-150 Lightning Pickup Truck Production Cut Over Tanking Sales

Oct. 19, 2023 7:41 AM ET byJarryd Neves Industry News /16 Comments

Once in demand, sales of the electric F-150 have slowed.

Once the must-have pickup for EV and truck lovers alike, theFord F-150 Lightninghas reportedly taken a turn for the worst concerning sales. According toYahoo Finance, the Blue Oval is cutting a production shift for the electric truck as demand for the battery-powered F-150 dwindles.

Ford's third-quarter report shows sales of the Lightning are down 45.8%, with 3,503 examples delivered to customers between July and September. During the same period last year, Ford managed to shift 6,464 units. The year-to-date sales figure stands at 12,260, a drop in the ocean compared to total YTD F-150 sales of 573,370.

The automaker says the reason behind the sudden shift cut has to do with supply chain issues. Like GM and Stellantis, Ford is also dealing with the United Automobile Workers (UAW) strikes, which have been ongoing for some time now.

Speaking of the trade union, theWall Street Journal(WSJ) reports that a leaked UAW letter first suggested that Ford would reduce production output for the F-150 Lightning. "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that our sales for the Lightning have tanked," reportedly read the communique.

Unfortunately, the temporary shift cut will affect around 700 workers.

Ford toldWSJthat the shift cut has to do with supply chain problems and new quality checks that have both hampered production. Ford has alreadyintroduced further quality control checkswith the latest F-Series Super Duty trucks to ensure these load luggers are delivered to customers with few to no faults.

Last year, consumer demand for the Lightning was so strong that Ford wasforced to double productionto meet customers' needs. So, how have things changed so quickly?

There could be several reasons for this, such as pricing. Customers could purchase a brand-new F-150 Lightning for under $40,000 when it was introduced in 2021. By March 2023, the MSRP of thebase Pro derivative had balloonedto more than $60,000.

然后,在7月,福特宣布that it would bereducing the price of the Lightning, with the range now kicking off at $49,995. It may be cheaper than before, but it's still out of reach for many Americans. This may have been the first sign that sales were trailing off, but Ford may be telling the truth about the supply chain issues. The automaker has been plagued with supply problems for quite some time.

Another theory is that Ford is wary of the effect the incoming Tesla Cybertruck will have on electric pickup buyers' buying choices, but that's a weak thread to pull on. Tesla is not the brand Ford is, and its buyers are different.

Whatever the reason, perhaps customers will benefit from some discounts in the near future.