Ford is reducing manufacture of the F-150 Lightning because demand is declining.

According to Ford, the F-150 Lightning’s manufacturing would be reduced as a result of lower-than-anticipated demand. The electric pickup is constructed at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Michigan, and on April 1st, there will be one production shift instead of two. It is expected to affect about 1,400 jobs.

About half of those will be moved, according to the manufacturer, to its assembly plant in Michigan, where a third crew is being assembled to fulfill the demand for additional Bronco and Bronco Raptors as well as new Ranger and Ranger Raptors. To cover that shift, the corporation is adding 900 employees.

The remaining impacted F-150 Lightning employees will be moved to alternative positions at Ford’s other local plants or the Rouge facility. Unless they accept a retirement incentive offer, that is.

The extent to which Ford is cutting back on F-150 Lightning production was not disclosed. But switching from two shifts to one means that output will decrease by around half, which is consistent with reports that have been released recently. Ford intended to reduce weekly output from about 3,200 vehicles to 1,600, according to CNBC.

In 2023, the company retooled the Rouge factory to increase its yearly production capacity for F-150 Lightnings to 150,000 units. But demand hasn’t kept up with supply. Even while EV sales increased by 55% in the previous year, they haven’t been moving as swiftly as they once did.

According to the firm, EV sales are expected to expand internationally this year, but at a slower rate than initially predicted. In light of this and the fact that Ford is preparing next-generation electric vehicles, the corporation has decided to temporarily halt manufacturing of the F-150 Lightning.

Additionally, Ford has reduced its offerings for other EVs as well. It reduced the Mustang Mach-E’s manufacturing in November.

“We are offering customers choices by utilizing our manufacturing flexibility to balance our growth and profitability.” America’s best-selling electric truck, the F-150 Lightning, is a customer favorite, according to Ford President and CEO Jim Farley. “We believe that certain consumers will have a bright future with electric vehicles, especially with our upcoming digitally advanced EVs and this quarter’s launch of Tesla’s charging network.”

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