Production Delay Extended...

[luebri]

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/24/for...oduction-another-week-after-battery-fire.html

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[detansinn]

Yep. My Lightning remains at HOLD status at the Port of Wilmington.

Good to see that production is on deck to restart, but looking for answers on what this means for those of us waiting for delivery with trucks that have already been built. Ford loves to keep redirecting buyers to the dealership, but doesn't give the dealer access to any additional information.

 

[jlwillia6]

So this new article seems to indicate the battery supplier resumed production, but Ford cannot resume production of the Lightning because it needs obtain the newly produced batteries from the manufacturer’s plant in Georgia.

Based on that, is it safe to assume the stop shipment has been lifted? My truck has already been shipped but is being held. I wonder if they can finish the process of getting it to the dealership.

 

[detansinn]

So this new article seems to indicate the battery supplier resumed production, but Ford cannot resume production of the Lightning because it needs obtain the newly produced batteries from the manufacturer’s plant in Georgia.

Based on that, is it safe to assume the stop shipment has been lifted? My truck has already been shipped but is being held. I wonder if they can finish the process of getting it to the dealership.

That would be a logical conclusion. You and are in the same boat -- same trim and same extended battery.

Unfortunately, per my conversation with Ford this morning and talking to my dealer, those of us in transit are still on hold.

 

[astricklin]

For what it's worth, my production week had moved from 3/13 to 3/27 but has not moved again. Yet. We will see what happens, it's entirely possible it gets moved for entirely different reasons as well.

 

[luebri]

More info From WSJ.... at 12:49 EST 2/24/23 (Today)

Ford Motor Co. is extending the halt on F-150 Lightning production until the end of next week, the company said Friday, as it works to resolve a battery problem that caused a vehicle fire.

The Feb. 4 fire occurred in one of the company’s holding lots during a predelivery quality check, a Ford spokeswoman said. The blaze spread to two other trucks, according to a fire department incident report reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.

Ford said last week that production would be stalled until at least the end of this week.

“We have no reason to believe F-150 Lightnings already in customers’ hands are affected by this issue. We monitor vehicle data to help ensure our vehicles are performing as expected in the field,” a Ford spokeswoman said Friday.

The Dearborn, Mich., auto maker said the battery supplier for this vehicle, SK On, has recommended changes to its equipment and processes, and that it will take time to implement those. Ford agrees with these changes, the spokeswoman said, but declined to elaborate on what they entail.

The South Korean battery maker has resumed production of its batteries after identifying the cause of the issue and making changes to address it, said a spokesman for the company, which is part of SK Innovation Co.

“SK On believes this was a rare occurrence, not a fundamental issue with the technology of the battery cells or our overall manufacturing systems,” the spokesman said Friday.

The Lightning began rolling off assembly lines in Ford’s Dearborn plant last spring, and the company has continued to increase production to meet customer demand.

The truck is one of three battery-powered models Ford sells in the U.S., along with the Mustang Mach-E SUV and an electric version of its Transit cargo van. Ford sold about 15,600 F-150 Lightning vehicles in 2022.

Stalling production on such a popular vehicle will be costly for the company, analysts have said, with research firm Evercore ISI estimating that about a month of downtime could cost Ford between $25 million to $120 million of operating profit, assuming $5,000 to $15,000 in variable margin per vehicle.

A local fire department responded to a call from a Ford employee around 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 4, and found three EV pickups on the lot that were plugged into charging stations and on fire, according to the incident report. One officer attempted to shut power off at a nearby panel but was unsuccessful, the report said.

After putting out the fire on two of the trucks, the battery in the third began to burn, but was “un-extinguishable,” according to the report. A fire captain with expertise in EV technology was contacted for ideas on how to handle the situation, the report said, and several more trucks were moved to prevent any additional fire spreading.

The fire department instructed Ford’s security to wet down the truck every 15 minutes, or if flames became visible, and maintain a person at the scene throughout the night, according to the report.

 

[luebri]

I dont understand how both these statements can be true.

"SK On, has recommended changes to its equipment and processes, and that it will take time to implement those."

and

"The South Korean battery maker has resumed production of its batteries after identifying the cause of the issue and making changes to address it"

 

[Amps]

I dont understand how both these statements can be true.

I think that the antecedent to the first 'its' is Ford.

The Dearborn, Mich., auto maker said the battery supplier for this vehicle, SK On, has recommended changes to its equipment and processes, and that it will take time to implement those. Ford agrees with these changes

<Ford> said the supplier ... recommended changes to <Ford's> equipment and processes, and that it will take time to implement those. Ford agrees with these changes

 

[GolfJRM]

So this new article seems to indicate the battery supplier resumed production, but Ford cannot resume production of the Lightning because it needs obtain the newly produced batteries from the manufacturer’s plant in Georgia.

Based on that, is it safe to assume the stop shipment has been lifted? My truck has already been shipped but is being held. I wonder if they can finish the process of getting it to the dealership.

My delivery dates are still 2/21 - 2/27 on one page and 2/18 - 3/3 on another. I would take either

 

[jlwillia6]

My delivery dates are still 2/21 - 2/27 on one page and 2/18 - 3/3 on another. I would take either

Yeah, mine still says 2/28 - 3/6 and hasn’t changed at all in the last week. So maybe we’ll both be pleasantly surprised and get a call from our dealerships in the next few days.

 

[GolfJRM]

I hope so...I already sold my other truck

 

[pja3668]

Yep. My Lightning remains at HOLD status at the Port of Wilmington.

Good to see that production is on deck to restart, but looking for answers on what this means for those of us waiting for delivery with trucks that have already been built. Ford loves to keep redirecting buyers to the dealership, but doesn't give the dealer access to any additional information.

@detansinn Same here. By Wilmington I assume you mean Delaware. That’s where my truck is. I’m waiting for my truck to come to NJ. For weeks now. 80 miles away.

 

[detansinn]

@detansinn Same here. By Wilmington I assume you mean Delaware. That’s where my truck is. I’m waiting for my truck to come to NJ. For weeks now. 80 miles away.

Yes, it's about 50 miles for me.
It was originally scheduled for the week of 2/6, then 2/13, then 2/20, and presumably it will bump to the week of 2/27.

 

[3rdgenfan]

Yes, it's about 50 miles for me.
It was originally scheduled for the week of 2/6, then 2/13, then 2/20, and presumably it will bump to the week of 2/27.

I'm a few miles from the port, I'll disguise myself and sneak in to grab both of the trucks.

 

[ChrisCon]

You have to wonder if the earliest built lightnings will be “better quality” when you read
“ it will take time “to ensure they are back to building high-quality cells and to deliver them to the Lightning production line.“


It almost reads like the first run of SK batteries was top notch and now they are cutting corners due to ramping up production. The first 2022s without features missing and lack of widespread battery issues initially (except hoovies garage) as well as the lower price point now make me feel that the earliest adopters really lucked out compared to the current one .

Feels like a rare occurrence where the beta testers and bleeding edge adopters wound up with the best possible scenario.

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