Ford seems to be to spice up gas-powered F-150 manufacturing, sticks to targets for EV model

Ford Motor Co on Friday mentioned it was finding out methods to spice up output of gasoline-powered and hybrid F-150 vans at a Michigan manufacturing unit as a part of a broader plan to spice up manufacturing of a number of fashions.

The No. 2 U.S. automaker mentioned it’s growing manufacturing by greater than 80,000 automobiles for its Bronco Sport and Maverick this 12 months, up from 225,000 in 2022.

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The automaker reiterated that it’s nonetheless on monitor to triple F-150 Lightning EV manufacturing this 12 months, focusing on an annual manufacturing run charge of 150,000 by the top of 2023. The automaker was pressured to halt manufacturing in early February after a battery fireplace, and plans to renew manufacturing on March 13.

Ford shares rose 3.6% in early buying and selling on Friday.

Ford’s U.S. F-150 gross sales fell 9.9% in 2022 to about 654,000, together with 15,617 F-150 EV vans, as the corporate struggled with manufacturing and provide chain issues.

Basic Motors final month mentioned it will idle the Fort Wayne, Indiana, meeting plant that builds Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup vans for 2 weeks beginning March 27 to keep up “optimum stock ranges with our dealerships.”

GM, Ford and Chrysler father or mother Stellantis dominate the U.S. massive pickup market, and for the previous two years have been elevating costs on their vans to report ranges as supply-chain snags restricted manufacturing.

The U.S. Postal Service this week mentioned it will purchase 9,250 E-Transit supply automobiles from Ford beginning later this 12 months.

Ford started growing manufacturing of the Mustang Mach-E this week and plans to just about double its hourly manufacturing and produce its annual manufacturing run charge to a focused 210,000 models by the top of 2023.