Ford F-150 Lightning production resumes after fire investigation

Ford has confirmed accumulation of its electric Ford F-150 Lightning truck volition resume today, aft it stopped producing the in-demand conveyance aft 1 caught occurrence astatine the company’s accumulation installation connected February 4.

At the time, Ford enactment an immediate halt to manufacturing portion it began an probe into the basal origin of the artillery fire.

The company’s artillery supplier, South Korean marque SK, has since said it was a rare occurence and not a plan flaw, which Ford has contiguous confirmed successful its ain statement.

“On Feb. 4, during a modular prime check, 1 conveyance displayed a artillery contented and caught fire. The basal origin identified was related to artillery compartment accumulation astatine the SK On works successful Georgia,” the marque said successful a statement.

“Ford is not alert of immoderate reports of mishap oregon wounded related to this recall. Together with SK On, we person confirmed the basal causes and person implemented prime actions. Production is connected way to resume Monday with cleanable banal of artillery packs.”

As portion of the rectification process, the 18 different Ford F-150 Lightnings built with the batch of batteries identified to person a imaginable contented and delivered to customers person been recalled to person their artillery battalion replaced.

“Ford is recalling 18 F-150 Lightnings owed to a artillery compartment manufacturing defect, which occurred implicit a four-week play starting astatine the extremity of past year. We precocious established that 18 vehicles containing cells from that four-week play had made it to dealers and customers.” 

The occurrence incidental seems to person done small to hinder lawsuit appetite, with the existent hold times pointing to monolithic bid lists. The constricted proviso and precocious request contented goes backmost to the vehicle’s motorboat successful 2021.

Ford was forced to adjacent its bid books successful December 2021, earlier accumulation had adjacent started, and successful 2022 announced plans to treble its accumulation output successful an effort to get cars to customers sooner.

The Ford USA website present says this 2023 exemplary twelvemonth is nary longer disposable to order.

The Blue Oval has present invested much than $US1 cardinal ($A1.44 billion) successful Michigan for the F-150 Lightning alone, with 1700 jobs created crossed 5 plants.

It’s unclear if the F-150 Lightning volition beryllium coming Down Under, but Ford Australia has antecedently said it’s bringing at slightest 5 electrified vehicles by 2024. It’s besides bringing the petrol-powered F-150 to marketplace successful 2023.

Given the monolithic North American request for the F-150 Lightning, don’t expect it to travel present immoderate clip soon.

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