Ford has stopped making and selling the electric F-150 Lightning truck because of a problem with the battery. Even though the company says there have been no problems or injuries with the product, it is looking into a possible battery problem. Ford said on Tuesday that there has yet to be a set a date for when production of the wildly popular EV will start up again. Ford announced today that production of the top-rated F-150 Lightning electric pickup would start on March 13. The extra 11-day delay is needed “to allow SK On’s battery cells to be integrated into battery arrays and packs and moved to the Lightning production line,” according to the statement. The Ford representative said, “In the coming weeks, we will continue to use what we’ve learned and work with SK On’s team to ensure we continue offering high-quality battery packs right down to the battery cells.” As REVC’s production increases, we will continue to hold back vehicles already built until engineering, and part changes are done. Ford about the problem with the original battery: “We’re not giving out any more information right now.” Ford made a new statement Wednesday afternoon, saying they had found the cause of the F-150 Lightning battery problem. Work at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center will stop “at least through the end of next week” on or after February 24. “During the routine pre-delivery quality check that was performed on Lightning vehicles, the battery of one of the vehicles was determined to be defective. We have seen the problem’s root cause. We plan to finish our investigation by the end of the next week and use what we’ve learned to make the batteries for the truck, which may take a few weeks. While we work on engineering and process improvements, we will continue to hold on to already-made vehicles. Ford has stated that “We do not know of any occurrences of this problem occuring in the field, and we do not think F-150 Lightnings previously owned by consumers are affected by this fault.” But the statement didn’t say what the problem with the battery was. In its first year of production, the Ford F-150 Lightning pickup truck was in high demand, but people in line may now have to wait a little longer. The company says that they have stopped making and shipping the trucks that have already been made but have yet to be sent to dealers. The problem could be caused by a problem with the EV’s battery. There has yet to be a plan for when production will start up again. Starting in late April 2022, the Lightning will be made at Ford’s Rouge Electric Vehicle Complex in Dearborn, Michigan. A Ford official told Car & Driver that the company is holding the truck while an investigation is done. “During performing quality assurance tests before delivery, we noticed that one vehicle displayed symptoms of a possible battery issue. Vehicles are being held pending the outcome of our investigation, the spokesman stated. We have yet to learn of any real-world problems with this issue. An earlier article on Motor Authority noted that the order wouldn’t change any F-150 Lightning pickups already on the market. Instead, the pickups will be sent to buyers.
