Ford took advantage of its newfound status as the No. 2 seller of electric vehicles in the US. In the interest of maintaining this, the automaker has increased production of its lineup of plug-in vehicles, including the Mustang Mach-E, F-150 Lightning, and E-Transit.
Ford began ramping up production of Mustang Mach-Es this week, making changes to its factory that will enable it to double assembly hours and bring the annual production run rate to a target of 210,000 units by the end of 2023. Mustang Mach-E price after No. 1 EV seller, Tesla, also reduced its prices.
This represents the second time Ford has said it will ramp up production of the Mustang Mach-E this year. In January, the company said it would open a new area of 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 began ramping up production of Mustang Mach-Es this week, making changes to its factory that will enable it to double assembly hours.
Image: Sean O’Kane / The Verge
Now, Ford says F-150 Lightning production 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 the start of the shipping in 2022, with 3,600 sold in the first two months of this year alone. Ford said it will invest $2 billion in three plants in Michigan to expand production for the electric truck.
The company also added more crew to its Kansas City plant to boost production of its E-Transit delivery van. The company is targeting an annual production increase of 38,000 for the E-Transit and gas-powered versions. Ford’s popular gas-powered vehicles, the Bronco Sport and Maverick pickup truck, also got production target increases.
The news is sure to appeal to any customer still waiting for their Ford EV to arrive. However, Ford continues to struggle with quality problems due to its unfortunate distinction of being the automaker issuing the most recalls in 2022. Markups are also a problem for Ford, and the F- 150 Lightning in particular has been hit with additional dealer fees. In addition to forcing retailers to cool markups, the company appears to be betting that increased supply will also help cool prices.