About 1,400 workers at a Ford factory in Michigan that makes the F-150 Lightning will move to new jobs or take retirement packages as sales of the fully electric pickup trucks decline.
Ford began the year by cutting production of the F-150 Lightning following significantly weaker-than-expected sales growth in electric vehicles. While EV sales are growing in the United States, the pace is falling far short of the industry's ambitious projections, and many consumers interested in electric cars are instead turning to hybrids instead.
Ford sold just over 24,000 Lightnings last year, up 55 percent from 2022. But dealers are reporting slower sales and rising inventories on the electric truck, which starts at just under $50,000. (Related: Ford loses billions on electric vehicles, reduces its EV production target.)
Of the 2,100 workers who make up three work crews manufacturing F-150 Lightnings at Ford's Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan, only a third will remain.
Ford spokeswoman Jessica Enoch said the company will transfer 700 workers to the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne to build the Bronco and Ranger. The remaining 700 workers will either take a retirement package offered during last year’s contract talks with the United Auto Workers or will take a reassignment in southeast Michigan. Ford is adding a third crew at the Michigan Assembly. Enoch said anyone who isn’t retiring will still have a job.
Ford's growth in EV sales fell by about 20 percent below projections. It is not the only one. Its main competitor, EV giant Tesla, had to drop its prices massively in an effort to attract new customers.
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Auto industry turning away from EVs
“How does a multi-billion dollar corporation in a trillion-dollar industry get caught with its pants down like this? Well, this is what happens when you run your business as a social justice outreach program instead of, you know, a business,” reported John Nolte, senior writer for Breitbart.
“Had Ford called me and asked, should we hire 2,100 guys to operate a plant to make all these electric cars. This would have been my answer… sure, at first… but normal people are not going to buy electric cars," he added. "These things are too expensive and not reliable enough. During those first few months, you will sell a bundle to the early adapters and virtue signalers. But after that, Normal people will hesitate over their legitimate concerns about reliable and easy recharging."
Nolte added, “And it’s not like I’m some kind of genius. Nevertheless, this is not 20/20 hindsight at work. I’ve been writing about these obvious hurdles to mass-adapting to EVs for years. This stuff is just common sense, and when you’re talking about a $50,000 ticket, this is not a world where If Detroit builds it, they will come.”
Nolte continued by noting that, for car owners in America, no amount of corporate, government or environmental propaganda can influence them "to spend tens of thousands of hard-earned dollars on something this unreliable."
“You might be able to fool people into changing toothpaste brands or purchasing a ticket for a lousy movie, but a car? … No,” he wrote.
Watch this video discussing how the lack of charging infrastructure is hampering EV development.
This video is from the Vampire Slayer channel on Brighteon.com.
More related stories:
Ford, Tennessee state gov’t collude to grab private lands for EV and battery plants.
Ford resumes Michigan EV battery plant but reduces production capacity by 40%, drops about 800 jobs.
Ford lowers prices of F-150 Lightning electric trucks by up to $10,000 as EV sales falter.
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