From Jalopnik, October 16:
Plus strikes could cost Ford and GM more than $500 million and another 1,250 workers are furloughed as the industrial action continues
Good morning! It’s Monday, October 16, 2023, and this is The Morning Shift, your daily roundup of the top automotive headlines from around the world, in one place. Here are the important stories you need to know.
1st Gear: Shift Cut At Ford’s F-150 Lightning Plant
Despite announcing that sales of its EVs were up by more than 14 percent in the third quarter of 2023, the number of all-electric F-150 Lightning trucks that the Blue Oval shifted between July and September was down by a massive 45 percent.Now, a UAW memo shared by the Wall Street Journal reveals that Ford could cut a shift at the plant that builds the all-electric F-150 as “sales for the Lightning have tanked.” The memo was shared by a UAW official in response to Ford’s announcement that it would cut a shift from its lightning facility, affecting 700 jobs at the site. The WSJ reports:
A Ford spokeswoman declined to comment on the possibility of eliminating a shift at the facility on a longer-term basis, and said there are some shorter-term schedule changes as it works through supply-chain disruptions and quality checks.
The company plans to temporarily cut one shift due to these constraints, the spokeswoman said. The shift change takes effect Monday and affects about 700 jobs. It isn’t related to the UAW strike at other factories. Ford declined to say how long the change would last.
Interestingly, the possible cutting of a shift at the site follows its six-week closure over the summer for expansion. The expansion of the Michigan EV plant, Ford said, would allow it to “meet customer demand” for its EVs.
However, that expansion came as Ford began backtracking on some of its EV targets. According to the WSJ, the company backtracked on a “previous goal to produce two million EVs by the end of 2026.” The company also gave itself an extra year to meet its target of producing 600,000 EVs per year.
2nd Gear: Strikes Could Cost Ford And GM $500 Million...
....MUCH MORE
Recently:"Ford Executive Chair Bill Ford calls on autoworkers to end strike, says company’s future is at stake" (F)
