Ford said it would restart production of the all-electric F-150 Lightning at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center on March 13 after a multiple-week manufacturing stoppage.
On February 14, Ford announced that it had announced a stop build and in-transit stop ship for the F-150 Lightning after finding potential battery issues in a vehicle that underwent a pre-delivery quality inspection.
At least one vehicle displayed a battery issue, but Ford had found the root cause of the problem just one day after announcing the production stoppage, it said.
It was unknown how long the production stoppage would last, but Ford finally has answers.
Today, Ford spokespeople announced that production would officially restart on March 13, ” allowing time for SK On’s battery cells to be built into battery arrays and packs and be delivered to the Lightning production line.”
Ford said it would utilize its learnings from the past few weeks to work with SK On “to ensure we continue delivering high-quality battery packs – down to the battery cells.”
Already-produced F-150 Lightning units will be held at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center while Ford continues to work through engineering and parts updates.
The issue did not affect F-150 Lightning units that were already at dealerships across the U.S., the company said initially. These vehicles were safe to sell by dealers and buy by consumers, as they were unaffected by the Sk On battery problems, Ford said.
On February 24, the automaker said in a statement that it agreed with the recommended changes SK On suggested within its equipment and that battery cell production had already resumed at the cell maker’s facility in Commerce, Georgia.
Ford’s full statement from today is available below:
“We will restart production at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center (REVC) on March 13, allowing time for SK On’s battery cells to be built into battery arrays and packs and be delivered to the Lightning production line. In the weeks ahead, we will continue to apply our learnings and work with SK On’s team to ensure we continue delivering high-quality battery packs – down to the battery cells. As REVC ramps up production, we will continue holding already-produced vehicles while we work through engineering and parts updates.”
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