Major Automaker Pumps Brakes On Production Of Electric Pickup Biden Once Drove

Ford Motor Company is temporarily pausing production of its F-150 Lightning electric truck model due to lower-than-anticipated demand, according to Automotive News.

The pause in manufacturing will last from mid-November until January 2025, according to Automotive News. President Joe Biden previously test-drove the same pickup model in Michigan in May 2021 as part of his pitch for electric vehicles as well as to garner support from autoworkers, CNN reported.

“We continue to adjust production for an optimal mix of sales growth and profitability,” Ford said in a statement, Automotive News reported.

Ford lost around $1.2 billion on electric vehicles (EV) in the third quarter of this year, after previously reporting a loss of $1.3 billion in the first quarter of the year. Ford CEO Jim Farley also recently admitted to driving a Chinese-manufactured electric car.

The automaker has been attempting to drum up consumer interest in EVs and announced in September that it would offer free EV chargers and home installations for customers beginning in October. Ford announced in August that it was discarding plans to build three-row electric SUVs.

The Biden-Harris administration has launched a number of initiatives to facilitate a transition to EVs, including introducing in August 2022 a $7,500 tax credit for EVs purchased. Biden also unveiled strict tailpipe emission regulations in March 2024 and previously vowed to install half a million EV chargers by 2030.

U.S. car sales continue to remain below pre-pandemic levels. Various other American automakers have also had to adjust their EV plans, with General Motors reporting a $1.7 billion loss on EVs in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Ford did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.