Ford resumes production of Lightning EV
(The Center Square) – Ford Motor Company announced Thursday it will resume production at its Rouge Electric Vehicle Center on March 13.
The facility builds the Ford Lightning F-150 EV.
Rouge issued a stop-build and in-transit stop-shipment order of the electric pickup on Feb. 15 due to battery issues. On the day prior, Ford executives and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the automaker is building a $3.5 billion EV BlueOval Battery Park in Marshall, which will be incentivized by nearly $1.8 billion Michigan taxpayer dollars, including the additional $630 million for site improvement approved by state legislators on Wednesday.
In a statement, Electric Vehicle and BlueOval spokeswoman Emma Bergg, “We will restart production at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center on March 13, allowing time for SK On’s battery cells to be built into battery arrays and packs and be delivered to the Lightning production line. In the weeks ahead, we will continue to apply our learnings and work with SK On’s team to ensure we continue delivering high-quality battery packs – down to the battery cells. As REVC ramps up production, we will continue holding already-produced vehicles while we work through engineering and parts updates.”
Rep. Jamie Thompson, R-Brownstown, said the subsidies and incentives provided Ford is an “astronomical sum” that will cost taxpayers nearly $700,000 for the creation of an estimated 2,500 jobs. She also said Ford is collaborating with a Chinese-owned battery technology supplier Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited. on the BlueOval facility “despite tensions between the United States and China.”
