Ford is putting the brakes on F-150 Lightning production as it reshuffles priorities heading into 2026. Following a massive fire at Novelis’s aluminum plant in Oswego, New York — a key supplier for the automaker — Ford announced that it will focus on building more gas-powered and hybrid F-Series trucks next year. The company expects to manufacture over 50,000 additional gas and hybrid units in the first quarter of 2026 alone to meet strong customer demand and recover lost production from the supply disruption. According to Ford, these trucks are not only more profitable but also use less aluminum than the all-electric Lightning, making them the logical choice given the current circumstances.
The September 16 fire caused severe damage to Novelis’s facility and is expected to cost Ford up to $1 billion in supply and production setbacks. Since the F-150 lineup relies heavily on aluminum for its body construction, the incident hit the electric truck program particularly hard. As a result, employees at Ford’s Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn — where the Lightning is built — will temporarily move to the nearby Dearborn Truck Plant to support an additional shift producing gas-powered pickups. The company will hire roughly 900 new workers to boost output and will also expand capacity at its Kentucky Truck Plant by investing $60 million, enabling production of one extra truck per hour, or more than 5,000 additional units per year.
It’s not yet clear how long Lightning production will remain on hold, but the decision comes at a complex time for Ford’s EV business. Sales of the electric pickup surged nearly 40 percent in Q3 2025, with over 10,000 units sold, and total deliveries for the 2026 model year have reached 23,034 — just a 1 percent year-over-year increase. That figure, however, pales in comparison to the rest of the F-Series lineup, which remains America’s best-selling truck range. Ford moved nearly 200,000 gas and hybrid F-Series models last quarter alone, bringing the total to almost 600,000 units through September — a 13 percent rise. For now, the company is doubling down on what customers are buying most, while it works to resolve supply issues and determine the future timeline for its flagship electric truck.
