American Automaker Ford is planning to cut back on production of its electronic pickup car or vehicles. The automaker plans to stop the production of the F-150 Lightning. Ford will also ensure that some of its workers are relocated.
Goodbye to America’s well-known car
According to Finance.Yahoo, the American car manufacturer had a plan to make up some ground: that a large group of workers from the Lightning plant would move to plants that make the Ford Ranger and Bronco models – the two models for which Ford boosted manufacturing targets.
As it is about time to change, Crain’s Detroit Business is reporting that Ford will begin scaling back its Bronco production amid rising inventories and lower sales.
“The report is aimed at relocating some 400 production workers from the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne to other facilities, though reports say none are being laid off,” speculates the publication.
“Crain’s notes that Bronco sales were down 10% through October, and sitting on dealer lots longer. Cox Automotive recently noted that Ford’s inventory of new vehicles hit a day’s supply of 115 in October, compared to 85 industry-wide.”
The website reports that the production change, which Ford said in a memo would “reduce our line rate to better serve customer demand for Bronco,” is set to take place early next year.
Ford cutting down on EV pick ups
Meanwhile, it is reported that the collateral damage may already be underway as some industry observers have speculated that a spate of layoffs announced by Michigan auto supplier Webasto Roof Systems is potentially related to Ford’s pullback on the Bronco.
Crain’s says Webasto has notified the state that it plans to lay off 218 employees as a result of reduced production by a customer.
“Though that customer was unnamed, the journal pointed out the Ford Bronco program was one of the largest for Webasto,” it is posted.
In conclusion, to cap the week off for Ford is the coinciding announcement that the automaker would reduce its workforce by 4,000 in Europe and the U.K. by the end of 2027.
This is more bad news for the Bronco, specifically: earlier this week, the NHTSA announced a probe into whether an April Ford recall involving the Bronco Sport and Maverick pickup was effective.
What is the carmaker’s reason, it is posted that there is a problem where the vehicles can suddenly lose power, a circumstance that a handful of consumers say persisted even after the recall fix was performed.
Ford killing three SUV vehicles
GM Insider reports that the famed carmaker, Ford is reshuffling its electric vehicle plans, thus killing its three-row SUV and delaying its next-generation pickup.
At the same time, the company is adding a new pickup and van to its future lineup as it adjusts to slower-than-expected EV growth.
“The automaker will take a special non-cash charge of about $400 million for the write-down of certain assets for the previously planned three-row SUVs, which may also result in additional expenses and cash expenditures of up to $1.5 billion,” reported the publication.
“The slowdown in demand for EVs has caused automakers such as Ford, General Motors and others to delay or cancel plans to avoid spending heavily on vehicles that consumers are not buying as quickly as anticipated.”
It is also posted that Ford CEO Jim Farley has been touting the company’s team in California which has been developing an architecture for affordable EVs.
The first vehicle on that new technology will be a mid-size electric pickup released in 2027, the company recently announced.