Ford’s electric truck slams into a $2 billion wall of aluminum ash
The electric future of Ford’s flagship truck may have run out of juice. The automaker has halted F-150 Lightning production after a supplier fire burnt its aluminum supply, sparking $2 billion in expected losses and, according to The Wall Street Journal, internal discussions about potentially halting production altogether.
That’s according to a report in The Wall Street Journal, which claims that Ford’s management is “in active discussions about scrapping” the Lightning. Production had already been suspended a few weeks ago due to an aluminum shortage following a destructive fire at a supplier’s factory in New York, which Ford estimates may result in as much as $2 billion in losses to the company.
While Ford told Ars it doesn’t comment on speculation on its future product plans, the automaker said that “F-150 Lightning is the best-selling electric pickup truck in the US—despite new competition from CyberTruck, Chevy, GMC, Hummer and Rivian—and delivered record sales in Q3.”
Ford insists the Lightning is still the nation’s top-selling electric pickup. Still, with inventories piling up, a charred supply chain, and customers quietly returning to gas and hybrid models, the company’s confidence looks thin. Rivian, Tesla, and Chevy have their own EV trucks to brag about, but the market seems to be realizing that electrifying America’s favorite gas guzzler might be easier said than sold.