Cars & trucks

Axios - Ford Motor's F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck, once a beacon that signaled the arrival of mainstream EVs, hasn't quite delivered on that promise. Consumers are still lukewarm on EVs, despite a plethora of new choices.... After cutting output earlier this year, Ford is now stopping Lightning production altogether for the rest of 2024.

• The move is an effort to stem losses in its EV business, which hit $3.7 billion through the first nine months of 2024.
• Lightning production at Ford's Rouge Electric Vehicle Plant in Dearborn, Mich., will resume Jan. 6, the company said.

The Lightning remains among the best-selling EVs in the U.S. (behind models from Tesla, which has half the market). Sales are up 86% for the year, Ford crowed in a release last month. It's just not enough to support the heavy investment needed to produce them.

Ford spent millions to increase capacity at the Dearborn plant even before the truck went on sale.

• The plan was to build as many as 150,000 Lightnings a year.
• But it's sold only 22,800 through September, which (because of the shutdown) means it's likely on track to sell about 25,000 this year.n.