Ford Announces Production Changes For Ranger, Bronco, And F-150 Lightning

Ford Announces Production Changes For Ranger, Bronco, And F-150 Lightning

The Blue Oval is reevaluating which cars to prioritize based on consumer demand.

Ford has announced changes to its production outputs of the Bronco, Ranger, and F-150 Lightning vehicle ranges. The Bronco, Ranger, and their Raptor variants are so popular that the Blue Oval has had to add a third production shift at the Michigan Assembly Plant to keep up with demand. This will remain in place for the foreseeable future.

In doing so, the Dearborn-based brand has created nearly 900 new jobs, as a total of 1,600-person-strong workforce is required for the newly added third shift. The remaining 700 employees are made up of existing Ford workers from the Ford Rouge Complex.

Later this year, Ford will make additional changes to support increased production of the Ranger and Bronco. Eventually, the three crews (working two shifts) will produce vehicles seven days a week at the Michigan Assembly Plant.

While this bodes well for the company’s success, the much-vaunted F-150 Lightning tells a different story. Ford has announced that it will be scaling back electric truck production, with the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center slowing to one production shift from April 1.

In October, reports suggested Ford was cutting production due to dwindling demand. While Ford proudly claims the Lightning is America’s best-selling EV pickup, that doesn’t hide the fact that sales fell 45.8% in the third quarter of 2023. And to think, there was a time when Ford had to double production of the F-150 Lightning.

As a result, 700 employees will be transferred to the Michigan Assembly Plant, while others will be placed in different roles at the Rouge Complex or relocated to Ford-owned plants in Southeast Michigan. The company notes some may be able to take the Special Retirement Incentive Program that falls under the 2023 Ford-UAW contract.

Ford is using its “manufacturing flexibility to offer customers choices while balancing growth and profitability,” said CEO Jim Farley. “We see a bright future for electric vehicles for specific consumers, especially with our upcoming digitally advanced EVs and access to Tesla’s charging network beginning this quarter.”

Last year, Ford said it lost $36,000 on every electric vehicle it sold, admitting that many consumers aren’t willing to pay a premium for EVs. However, company CFO John Lawler said this doesn’t mean the segment isn’t growing. “The narrative has taken over that EVs aren’t growing; they’re growing. It’s just growing at a slower pace than the industry and, quite frankly, we expected.”

Even dealerships struggle to sell EVs, and many automakers are beginning to rethink their EV strategies for a more varied approach.

Ford says it will now offer “the right mix” of gas-powered hybrids and EVs while focusing on profits. It would appear Toyota had the right approach to electrification all along.