Ford Is Revving Up Bronco and Ranger Production, and Decelerates on the F-150 Lightning

Ford has been making moves in response to customer demand for certain vehicles in its inventory. In a press release, the automaker announced that will be creating 900 new jobs while increasing production on the Bronco, Bronco Raptor, Ranger, and Ranger Raptor, resulting in a new third crew at the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, MI.

Ford’s Response to Customer Demands

This shift has had the company increase its scale of production of gas-powered and hybrid F-150 trucks, all while scaling back on the F-150 Lightning to match customer demands.

“We are taking advantage of our manufacturing flexibility to offer customers choices while balancing our growth and profitability. Customers love the F-150 Lightning, America’s best-selling EV pickup,” said Ford President and CEO Jim Farley. “We see a bright future for electric vehicles for specific consumers, especially with our upcoming digitally advanced EVs and access to Tesla’s charging network beginning this quarter.”

In addition to the 900 new hires, the 1,600-person third crew at the Michigan Assembly Plant will also add approximately 700 employees from Ford’s Rouge Complex in Dearborn to the operation.

Ford’s EV Reality Check

This production adjustment comes on the heels of the public’s overall lack of interest in full-electric vehicles, despite automakers’ expectation for an “electric revolution” that came and went like a flash of lightning. In a memo released by Ford in December 2023, the company announnced that the F-150 Lightning, which was once the company’s flagship model for its EV line, will be having its production cut down to 1,600 a week in 2024, half of its target of 3,200 per week.