Ford F-150 Lightning Production Paused

Ford Prioritizes Gas and Hybrid F-Series Truck Production

In response to a fire at a key aluminum supplier, Ford Motor has shifted its production focus. Gas and hybrid versions of the F-150 and F-Series Super Duty trucks are now receiving top priority.

Production Adjustments and the F-150 Lightning

Notably, the all-electric F-150 Lightning has not been included in this prioritized production schedule. Assembly at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan, will remain paused for the time being.

Ford explained this decision by stating that the gas and hybrid F-Series trucks generate higher profits and require less aluminum in their construction.

Sales Figures and Market Context

While sales of the F-150 Lightning are growing, they remain significantly lower compared to the traditional gas-powered F-Series trucks.

During the third quarter, Ford sold 10,005 F-150 Lightning pickups, representing a 39.7% increase year-over-year. However, this figure is dwarfed by the 207,732 F-Series trucks delivered during the same period, contributing to a total vehicle delivery of 545,522.

Year-to-date sales for the F-150 Lightning reach 23,034 units in 2025, a slight increase of approximately 1% compared to the first nine months of 2024.

Impact of the Novelis Plant Fire

Despite being the leading electric pickup in the U.S. market, Ford is concentrating on maximizing production of gas and hybrid trucks to mitigate the impact of the fire at Novelis’ plant in Oswego, New York. This fire, which occurred on September 16, caused substantial damage to the plant’s hot mill.

Novelis anticipates the hot mill will be operational again by December 2025.

According to spokesperson Ian Thibodeau, Ford maintains sufficient F-150 Lightning inventory and will resume production at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center when conditions allow, though a specific date remains undetermined.

Financial Implications and Recovery Plan

The fire at the Novelis plant is expected to result in losses of up to $2 billion for Ford in the fourth quarter. This, combined with tariff-related challenges costing up to $1 billion, has led the company to revise its full-year profit forecast for 2025 down to $6 billion from $6.5 billion.

To offset these losses, Ford plans to increase F-Series production by over 50,000 trucks in 2026. This will be achieved by adding a third shift at the Dearborn Truck Plant.

Workforce Adjustments

The implementation of the third shift is projected to create up to 1,000 new jobs. Furthermore, all hourly employees currently working at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center will be transferred to the Dearborn Truck Plant to support the increased production volume.