Ford Motor expects production of its electric F-150 Lightning pickup to be down thru at the least the top of next week to deal with a capacity battery trouble that resulted in a vehicle fire on Feb. 4, the automaker stated Wednesday.
The affirmation of the fire and up-to-date timing comes an afternoon after Ford confirmed manufacturing of the incredibly watched vehicle had been suspended at the start of the ultimate week.
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Ford said Wednesday it believes engineers have discovered the foundation purpose of the hearth. The investigation into the problem is predicted to be finished by means of the end of the subsequent week, followed by means of adjustments to the truck’s battery production method that “may want to take a few weeks.”
The fireplace, which became first suggested by way of the Detroit unfastened Press, occurred in a conserving lot at some point of a pre-shipping first-class check and spread to a close-by automobile, Ford stated.
A Ford spokeswoman declined to reveal extra details of the difficulty, which led to the manufacturing halt as well as a prevent-shipment of already-produced vehicles.
The battery provider for the truck is South Korea-based SK On, a derivative of SK Innovation, which the Detroit automaker announced a joint venture with remaining years to establish battery manufacturing centers in the U.S.
Ford stated it isn’t aware of any incidents of this issue in cars which have already been added to clients and sellers. outlets can hold to sell cars that they’ll have already got in stock.
The F-a hundred and fifty Lightning is being intently watched by way of buyers because it’s the primary mainstream electric-powered pickup truck in the marketplace and a chief release for Ford.
The battery trouble adds to ongoing “execution troubles” targeted to buyers in advance this month via Ford CEO Jim Farley that crippled the automaker’s fourth-area income.
Farley reiterated Wednesday that the automaker desires to do higher operationally to be greater worthwhile and produce margins in-line with the competition. He said Ford is much less profitable than its legacy friends because it has a cost disadvantage of between $7 billion and $eight billion.
“We are able to reduce the price, we are able to reduce human beings, we are able to do that sincerely quick and we will do whatever we need to,” Farley stated during a Wolfe research convention. “The fact is in case you don’t change the performance of engineering, deliver chain and manufacturing, the simple work declaration, the way people work, the performance of that it’ll grow lower back
Farley later brought up, “this is virtually approximately remodeling what we do in the one hundred twenty-12 months-vintage a part of the business enterprise.”
Automakers automatically have problems and remember related to automobiles however troubles with batteries are of precise challenge and hobby because the automakers make investments billions of bucks in the motors.
One of the maximum outstanding issues has been with preferred vehicles’ Chevrolet Bolt EVs. The Detroit automaker two years ago had to remember all the motors built up until then to deal with heart problems resulting from “uncommon production defects” at the centers of its battery supplier LG Battery answer.
