Ford has reiterated plans to shift production to favor two gas vehicles over the Ford F-150 Lightning. Last month, Ford revealed it planned to reduce the F-150 Lightning production by approximately half. Late last week, Ford said that 1,400 workers would be impacted by this change, which is set to occur on April 1.
About 700 workers at Ford’s Rouge Electric Vehicle Center will be transferred to the Michigan Assembly Plant to work on the gas-powered Bronco and Bronco Rapto along with the Ranger and Ranger Raptor. The Rouge Electric Vehicle Center is where the F-150 Lightning is made.
The remaining workers will be given positions at the Rouge Complex in Dearborn or other Southeast Michigan Ford facilities or can use the Special Retirement Incentive Program within the UAW-Ford contract.
These changes could affect a few dozen workers at component factories working on the F-150 Lightning production, depending on the number of employees who select the retirement option. Those impacted workers could be placed in other Southeast Michigan locations.
Plus, Ford will hire 900 net new workers at the Michigan Assembly Plant while adding a third shift of as many as 1,600 workers to boost the production to seven days per week – up from five days per week.
Ford is forecasting continued electric vehicle (EV) sales growth for the year, but less than what it was previously expecting as the company prepares to launch next-generation electric vehicles.
KEY QUOTE:
“We are taking advantage of our manufacturing flexibility to offer customers choices while balancing our growth and profitability. Customers love the F-150 Lightning, America’s best-selling EV pickup. We see a bright future for electric vehicles for specific consumers, especially with our upcoming digitally advanced EVs and access to Tesla’s charging network beginning this quarter.”
– Jim Farley, Ford CEO and President
