Ford is temporarily suspending production of its electric F-150 Lightning truck as the auto industry continues to grapple with the sluggish demand for electric vehicles and politicians turn them into a point of attack.
Ford announced Thursday will be pausing its F-150 Lightning production for a couple of weeks until the beginning of the new year. It is the latest setback for the F-150 Lightning, a blockbuster Ford product that has missed sales targets and necessitated cost-cutting measures and layoffs at Ford’s Dearborn, Michigan plant.
“We continue to adjust production for an optimal mix of sales growth and profitability,” Ford told National Review in a statement.
When the Dearborn plant opened in 2021, President Biden and Michigan Democrats proclaimed that it was a historic day for American innovation and promoted the new jobs the facility was expected to create.
“This is an incredible facility,” Biden said.
“Look, the future of the auto industry is electric. There’s no turning back. And as Rory says, ‘The American auto industry is at a crossroads.’ And the real question is whether we’ll lead or we’ll fall behind in the race to the future; or whether we’ll build these vehicles and the batteries that go in them here in the United States or rely on other countries; or whether the jobs to build these vehicles and batteries, that are good-paying union jobs with benefits — jobs that will sustain and grow the middle class.”
The delay comes only months after Ford announced plans to scrap an all-electric sport-utility vehicle and push back production of its upcoming all-electric truck. Ford also took heat last week when CEO Jim Farley touted its Chinese competition while the company benefits from taxpayer-funded loans and subsidies.
Electric vehicles have been at the center of the Biden administration’s climate change agenda through a mix of investments, subsidies, and environmental regulations to disincentivize gas-powered vehicle production.
Auto-makers have responded to these incentives with billion-dollar investments in their electric vehicle fleets that have not always achieved profitability. Moreover, the auto-industry is adjusting to reduced customer demand and increased Chinese competition with price reductions and discounts to woo consumers and reduce overstocked inventory.
“American automakers and workers are paying the price for policies that ignore real consumer demand and instead impose costly electric vehicle mandates. These one-size-fits-all regulations are not only straining manufacturers but also threatening jobs and economic stability. It’s time to prioritize policies that support market-driven solutions and protect American industries,” said American Energy Institute CEO Jason Isaac.
The Biden administration’s electric vehicle mandate has become a political liability for Democrats, especially in must-win Michigan where auto-industry jobs are an essential part of the state’s economy and polls show Democrats and Republicans virtually tied in the presidential and senate races.
“Biden’s bid to mandate EVs is going to be the No. 1 business school case study of the problem with central economic planning — government picks the one size fits all,” said Steve Milloy, Senior E&E Institute Legal Fellow and former Trump EPA transition team member.
Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, and Representative Elissa Slotkin, the Michigan Democratic senate nominee, have attempted to distance themselves from the Biden administration’s electric vehicle policies to mitigate Republican attacks. Four years ago, Harris supported an electric vehicle mandate and phasing out gas-powered vehicle sales by 2035.
Former president Donald Trump’s campaign is hoping to capitalize on negative electric vehicle sentiment with an ad campaign warning Michigan workers that Harris supports a transition away from gas-powered cars, potentially leading to job cuts in the state.