Ford is enjoying its newfound status as the No. 2 seller of electric vehicles in the US. In the interest of maintaining it, the automaker is boosting production of its lineup of plug-in vehicles, including the Mustang Mach-E, F-150 Lightning, and E-Transit.
Ford started accelerating production of Mustang Mach-Es this week, making changes at its factory that will enable it to double its hourly assembly and bring its annual manufacturing run rate to a targeted 210,000 units by the end of 2023. Ford also announced it would slash prices on the Mustang Mach-E after the No. 1 EV seller, Tesla, also reduced its prices.
This represents the second time that Ford has said it would boost production of the Mustang Mach-E this year. Last January, the company said it would open up new space in its factory and add new equipment in an effort to increase production to 130,000 vehicles annually from a previous target of 78,000.
Ford started accelerating production of Mustang Mach-Es this week, making changes at its factory that will enable it to double its hourly assembly
Image: Sean O’Kane / The Verge
Now, Ford is saying that production of the F-150 Lightning is on track to triple this year, targeting an annual production run rate of 150,000 by the end of 2023. The company has sold 19,217 F-150 Lightnings since deliveries started in 2022, with 3,600 sold in the first two months of this year alone. Ford said it will invest $2 billion across three plants in Michigan to boost production for the electric truck.
The company is also adding an additional crew to its Kansas City plant in order to boost production of its E-Transit delivery van. The company is targeting an annual production increase of 38,000 for both the E-Transit and gas-powered version. Ford’s popular gas-powered vehicles, the Bronco Sport and Maverick pickup truck, are also getting production target increases.
The news is sure to appeal to any customer still waiting for their Ford EV to arrive. Still, Ford continues to struggle with quality problems given its unfortunate distinction of being the automaker to issue the most recalls in 2022. Markups are also a problem for Ford, and the F-150 Lightning in particular has been hit hard by extra dealer fees. In addition to pressuring dealers to cool it on the markups, the company appears to be betting that an increase in supply will also help cool down prices.
