Ford F-150 Lightning Production Paused After Supplier Fire Hits Key Aluminum Supply

Ford Motor Co. will temporarily suspend production next week at its Dearborn, Michigan, plant that builds the F-150 Lightning following a fire at a key aluminum supplier’s New York factory.

The September 16 blaze at the Novelis aluminum plant is now impacting Ford’s most profitable vehicle line and could cost the automaker an estimated $1 billion in lost output.

Supplier fire forces Ford to pause electric truck output

A memo shared with workers confirmed that the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center (REVC) will be offline for a week, with union leaders citing the aluminum factory fire as the direct cause, according to Reuters. Ford has not detailed how production will be adjusted or how long the disruption could last, though Nick Kottalis, the president and chairman of Dearborn Truck, confirmed the shutdown was related to the aluminum factory fire.

Ford has relied heavily on aluminum in its F-150 design for over a decade to improve efficiency and reduce weight. The company also builds F-150 and Super Duty models across several U.S. plants, though it declined to confirm whether those operations would face additional slowdowns.

“Novelis is one of several aluminum suppliers to Ford. Since the fire nearly three weeks ago, Ford has been working closely with Novelis, and a full team is dedicated to addressing the situation and exploring all possible alternatives to minimize any potential disruptions,” the Ford spokesperson said.

Impact could ripple across Ford’s EV and truck strategy

The shutdown comes just as Ford recorded record F-150 Lightning sales in the third quarter, delivering 10,000 units and securing the top spot as America’s best-selling electric pickup. The production pause may slow momentum as Ford navigates shifting market conditions, especially after the $7,500 federal EV tax credit expired on September 30.

CEO Jim Farley recently acknowledged that EV sales could drop to roughly half their late-summer levels now that the incentive has ended. Still, the company is betting that supply recovery and ongoing demand for electrified trucks will stabilize growth heading into 2025.

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