Ford Tripling F-150 Lightning, Doubling Mach-E Production in 2023

Despite an ongoing production pause on the F-150 Lightning, Ford says it will significantly boost EV output in 2023 in response to overwhelming consumer demand. The automaker aims to triple Lightning production and nearly double Mustang Mach-E output — a bold commitment from the company that became the second-largest EV maker in the US in 2022, selling 61,575 electric vehicles.

The Production Pause — and the Fix

Ford paused F-150 Lightning production in early February after a battery issue was detected during pre-delivery quality inspections on one vehicle. The company halted shipments nationwide while it investigated. Ford has since resolved the issue and restarted production at its Rouge Electric Vehicle Center. The stop-shipment order applied only to vehicles already produced or in transit — not those already on dealer lots — so current shoppers were largely unaffected.

Ford's 2023 EV Production Targets

Despite the setback, Ford is pushing ahead with aggressive production ramp-up targets for the year. The company announced it will boost production of its popular EVs following a strong sales start to 2023. The targets: an annual run rate of 150,000 F-150 Lightnings and 210,000 Mustang Mach-Es. Combined with other EV models, Ford is aiming to manufacture over 360,000 electric vehicles in 2023.

Kumar Galhotra, president of Ford Blue, said the production increase would benefit both customers and Ford's business. The demand is clearly there — the bigger challenge has been keeping up with it. Ford originally planned to produce around 55,000 Lightnings annually; it has repeatedly revised that target upward as demand has outpaced expectations.

Originally published by Electrek. Author: Peter Johnson.