Ford Motor announced on Friday that it had paused shipments of all 2024 model year F-150 Lightning electric pickup trucks to conduct quality inspections for an undisclosed issue. The halt in shipments, which began on February 9, comes as Ford looks to ensure the high standards of its electric vehicle (EV) truck.
The No. 2 U.S. automaker did not provide a timeline for when it expects to resume shipments, which had initially started in January. A Ford spokesperson declined to specify the nature of the quality issue being addressed.
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In addition to the inspection of its EV trucks, Ford disclosed that it had commenced shipments this week of the newly redesigned gas-powered 2024 model F-150 pickups to dealers. The company expressed its intention to increase shipments in the upcoming weeks as it completes meticulous launch quality checks.
Reports from Automotive News indicate that hundreds, if not thousands, of 2024 model gas-powered F-150 trucks have accumulated in storage lots in southeast Michigan since production commenced in December.
Ford had previously announced plans to begin shipping the new F-150 in early 2024, a timeline it affirmed is on track. However, the automaker revealed last month that it would scale back production of its F-150 Lightning due to lower-than-expected demand for EVs.
See also: Ford Announces Reduction in F-150 Lightning Production Amid Lower-Than-Expected Demand for EVs
Despite the shipment halt, production of the F-150 Lightning is ongoing. Ford had informed suppliers in December of its intention to manufacture approximately 1,600 F-150 Lightning EV trucks per week starting in January, a reduction from the initial plan of 3,200 per week.
In 2021, Ford sold 24,165 F-150 Lightning trucks in the U.S., marking a 55% increase from the previous year, out of approximately 750,000 total F-150 sales. The automaker had aimed for the plant building the F-150 Lightning to achieve an annualized production rate of 150,000 vehicles by October, following a doubling of EV truck production in 2022.
