Ford just dealt a major blow to its electric vehicle ambitions. The automaker is indefinitely pausing F-150 Lightning production at its Dearborn plant while prioritizing gas and hybrid trucks, citing better profit margins and reduced aluminum requirements after a catastrophic supplier fire. The move signals Ford's retreat from aggressive EV expansion as it focuses on financial recovery.
Ford just threw cold water on its electric vehicle momentum. The automaker announced Thursday it's keeping F-150 Lightning production paused indefinitely at its Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan, while fast-tracking gas and hybrid F-150 production instead. The decision marks a stark pivot away from Ford's electric ambitions as financial pressures mount.
The catalyst behind this strategic shift traces back to September 16, when a devastating fire at aluminum supplier Novelis' plant in Oswego, New York severely damaged critical production equipment. That single incident is now costing Ford up to $2 billion in fourth-quarter earnings, according to Thursday's earnings report. Combined with up to $1 billion in tariff headwinds, Ford slashed its full-year profit guidance from $6.5 billion to $6 billion.
"The gas and hybrid F-Series trucks are more profitable for Ford and use less aluminum," the company stated bluntly. It's a telling admission that reveals the uncomfortable economics behind Ford's electric truck program. While the F-150 Lightning holds the crown as America's best-selling electric pickup, the numbers tell a sobering story about scale and profitability.
Ford sold just 10,005 F-150 Lightning pickups in Q3 2025 - a 39.7% year-over-year increase that sounds impressive until you consider the context. Total Ford deliveries hit 545,522 vehicles that quarter, with 207,732 being F-Series trucks. The Lightning's 10,000 units represent less than 5% of total F-Series volume, highlighting the massive gap between electric aspirations and gas-powered reality.
For the full year through September, Ford has moved 23,034 Lightning trucks - barely 1% growth over 2024's pace. Meanwhile, the conventional F-150 remains Ford's cash cow, generating the profits needed to weather supply chain disasters and fund future development. "We have good inventories of the F-150 Lightning and will bring Rouge Electric Vehicle Center back up at the right time, but don't have an exact date," spokesperson Ian Thibodeau told TechCrunch.
That vague timeline speaks volumes about Ford's shifting priorities. Instead of racing to restore electric production, the company is doubling down on what pays the bills. Ford plans to boost F-Series production by more than 50,000 trucks in 2026 by adding a third shift at the Dearborn Truck Plant. The expansion will create up to 1,000 new jobs, with all hourly workers from the idled electric plant getting transferred next door to build gas-powered trucks.
