US automaker Ford has halted the production and shipments of its electric F-150 Lightning pickup, in the wake of a battery issue. The company issued a nationwide "stop shipment" order to hold F-150 Lightnings while a potential battery issue is investigated, says a report by Electrek.
"As part of our pre-delivery quality inspections, a vehicle displayed a potential battery issue and we are holding vehicles while we investigate," the company said in a statement. The potential quality issue is related to the battery.
"We are conducting a root cause analysis. This potential issue was identified as part of our pre-delivery quality inspections. We are not aware of any incidences of this issue in the field. There is no stop sale," the carmaker added.
The F-150 Lightning's battery is supplied by SK On, a spinoff of Korean firm SK Innovation, said the report. Ford has not given a timeline for when production and the shipments for the electric vehicle will resume.
Meanwhile, the automaker on Tuesday announced it will eliminate 3,800 jobs over the next three years in Europe to restructure its business, creating a leaner, more competitive cost structure. By 2025, Ford plans to resize its European engineering footprint, resulting in 2,800 fewer jobs. These changes are driven by the transition to fully electric powertrains and reduced vehicle complexity.
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Moreover, a leaner cost structure will be created for Ford's administrative, marketing, sales and distribution functions in Europe, which includes the elimination of approximately 1,000 positions. According to the carmaker, it will maintain an engineering organisation of approximately 3,400 roles in Europe, which will be focused on vehicle design and development, as well as the creation of connected services.