[Updated with Ford statement 2/15/23] 🛑 Lightning Stop Production / Stop Shipment Issued (due to potential battery issue)

[metroshot]

This has been my life for about 4 weeks. Every 3 days my ETA gets pushed back. I'd rather they tell me March... at least i won't wake up everyday checking if it's shipped or delivered. Ford is playing a very cruel game.

My MME order is a really cruel and unusual punishment.

Moved 6 times from early January to now early March.

Still sitting in Lecheria, Mexico.

Any later and the IRS will rule on the battery tax credit...

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[Lightning Rod]

Where is yours? I had mine built in Dec and then it was on a chip delay. Finally shipped and is in town just not at the dealer yet

Mine is still on Ramp 59 in Dearborn. It had a built date on 1-17. Then it said Chip hold and new built date was 1-30. Now every 3 days, my ETA is ALWAYS the current week. They should stop playing with me and just tell me my eta is March or April. I would feel better about getting ran around.

 

[abel408]

http://www.businesskorea.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=109794

I find it concerning that the article states sk on found issues with the production of the batteries. Wouldn't this indicated that there are potentially batteries with issues in trucks that have already been sold?

 

[metroshot]

http://www.businesskorea.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=109794

I find it concerning that the article states sk on found issues with the production of the batteries. Wouldn't this indicated that there are potentially batteries with issues in trucks that have already been sold?

What's really concerning is that SK won't release manufacturing info to Ford.

Why would SK refuse to provide the info that Ford is asking for ?

Korea considers battery tech a national security issue ??

This is going to really back up production.

https://evmagz.com/industrial-espio...OGG9UcUG4Hp03-_Dxkjy3pRebs87PNLCGx6tWu4XiQ1js

 

[Grumpy2]

Another article on this battery issue:

https://www.just-auto.com/news/sk-on-might-suspend-us-plant-after-ford-lightning-battery-issues/

 

[viennaxmas]

It seems SK is restarting production: http://www.businesskorea.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=109794 - this is from yesterday, the other articles have been released last week.

 

[viennaxmas]

What's really concerning is that SK won't release manufacturing info to Ford.

Why would SK refuse to provide the info that Ford is asking for ?

Korea considers battery tech a national security issue ??

This is going to really back up production.

https://evmagz.com/industrial-espio...OGG9UcUG4Hp03-_Dxkjy3pRebs87PNLCGx6tWu4XiQ1js

It is all about intelectual property. SK wants to protect their investment into technology as well as future revenues...

 

[Peddyr]

interesting article / update from a tech journalist regarding Ford and SK lightning battery fire and relationship. Fascinating if close to true. It does pass the smell test to me.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/F-150...is-wary-of-industrial-espionage.696389.0.html

Fascinating article for sure. While reading it, two things occurred to me.

1) I believe Ford does want to produce their own batteries, but would you want to view the Cell/Battery make up of a company who may have produced a battery that caught fire and caused them to cease production?
2) It would seem to me if Ford wanted to develop their own batteries, they'd have the resources to hire people who could develop the technology for them now that have access to the physical batteries during manufacturing.

What am I missing?

 

[Lightning64]

Dearborn Fire Department Incident Report for Ford Lightning Fire on 2/4/23:
For those of you that are interested, attached is the Dearborn Fire Department incident report on the Lightning battery fire that occurred on 2/4/23. I highlighted a few interesting points in the attachment. (Sorry for the poor quality, but that is all I have at this point!)

Incident Date: 2/4/23 at 3:34pm. The Fire Department was on scene for nearly 3 hours.

• Middle truck was heavily involved and (2) trucks on the sides were heavily damaged. (Seems like the middle truck started on fire and the truck on each side caught fire and were heavily damaged.)
• All 3 trucks were plugged into a charger at the time.
• One truck battery was un-extinguishable. Needed to contact the Fire Chief due to their expertise in EV technology. Instructed Ford security to wet the truck every 15 minutes or if flames became visible after FD had the situation under control.
• No VINs provided.
  

 

[Lightning Rod]

Dearborn Fire Department Incident Report for Ford Lightning Fire on 2/4/23:
For those of you that are interested, attached is the Dearborn Fire Department incident report on the Lightning battery fire that occurred on 2/4/23. I highlighted a few interesting points in the attachment. (Sorry for the poor quality, but that is all I have at this point!)

Incident Date: 2/4/23 at 3:34pm. The Fire Department was on scene for nearly 3 hours.

• Middle truck was heavily involved and (2) trucks on the sides were heavily damaged. (Seems like the middle truck started on fire and the truck on each side caught fire and were heavily damaged.)
• All 3 trucks were plugged into a charger at the time.
• One truck battery was un-extinguishable. Needed to contact the Fire Chief due to their expertise in EV technology. Instructed Ford security to wet the truck every 15 minutes or if flames became visible after FD had the situation under control.
• No VINs provided.
  

So, the truck was charging at the time. The way some were saying, the trucks were parked outside in a parking lot awaiting shipment.

 

[GDN]

Fascinating article for sure. While reading it, two things occurred to me.

1) I believe Ford does want to produce their own batteries, but would you want to view the Cell/Battery make up of a company who may have produced a battery that caught fire and caused them to cease production?
2) It would seem to me if Ford wanted to develop their own batteries, they'd have the resources to hire people who could develop the technology for them now that have access to the physical batteries during manufacturing.

What am I missing?

You've got a legacy company that just doesn't know how to move and they get in bed with partners that don't want to work like they want to work. They've got to get beyond this quick. Many have proven these batteries are not easy to produce, and yet choosing the wrong partner can make it even worse.

 

[Jim Lewis]

Can't find the exact page now, but quite a while ago, I was wondering, "Do I want to buy a Ford EV with batteries made by SK?", especially when I had read SK had to settle big-time out-of-court with LG for allegedly infringing on LG patents: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/vide...gs-great-benefits-to-georgia-sen-ossoff-video

The web page that I came across was SK bragging that it was pushing the limits of nickel incorporation into Li NCM batteries, up to 90% Ni content in the alloy. The SK article surprisingly mentioned that with such Ni content, you really optimized power, but that combination was potentially highly unstable, but they'd found a way to conquer that problem, and that was the advantage of their technology. So, now with the Lightning charging fire, maybe not!

SK Innovation Pushes Nickel Limits of EV Batteries - Batteries News

If I can find anything like that page again, I'll add it to this post.

Edit_Update: Articles on NCM9 Safety

1. An article saying advanced manufacturing technology is required to ensure safety but no battery fires yet(!): https://batteriesnews.com/sk-innovation-ncm9-battery-ces-2022-innovation-awards/
2. An article more specific on the potential disadvantages of high Ni batteries: https://batteriesnews.com/going-hig...-develop-lithium-ion-battery-cathodes-future/

Quote from article # 2: However, higher nickel content also has disadvantages: Cycling stability and thermal stability fall drastically.

 

[TBA]

I make sure I'm using shore power when above 90F and below 50F, but in general, I use shore power the night before every weekday so the cabin temp is set to the appropriate temperature...just have to change the warm/medium/cool based on the next day's temperature and that I'm at 85% SOC the next morning.

So if I understand you correctly, plug the Truck in anytime the overnight temp is below 50F or above 90F. And set the cabin temp to warm / cool as appropriate.

 

[KevinC]

When SK was stealing technology from LG they should have skipped the lights self on fire technology. One rare instance where they maybe should have stolen from the Chinese.

 

[Grumpy2]

Who makes the Lightning battery energy control module? Perhaps that was the problem during charging?

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