• Ford is adding a third work shift to ramp up production of the F-150 Lightning.
• High demand for the model is leading the company to add the shift at its Rouge plant in Dearborn.
• Ford wants to be producing 150,000 Lightnings annually by next fall.
Ford announced this week that it is ramping up production of its all-electric pickup truck, the F-150 Lightning version of its F-150. To do so, it will add a third shift at its Red assembly plant near Detroit, specifically in Dearborn.
The good news for auto workers is that 250 jobs have been created to set up this third shift dedicated to manufacturing the Lightning model.
The other obvious good news for Ford is the strength of interest in the EV. Ted Cannis, Ford's head of commercial vehicles, said the company is experiencing “tremendous demand” for its model. So much that manufacturing capacity is not keeping up, basically.
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The company has already said it's aiming for annual production of 150,000 units by the fall of 2023. This is one more step toward that goal.
One of the reasons that demand is increasing significantly has to do with American subsidies under the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act. Ford anticipates that this will increase demand for not only its electric pickup truck, but also its E-Transit van. Cannis added that many companies with fleets don't yet know if they can take advantage of the subsidies. In the short term, that could affect into the demand, needless to say.