‘Just another debacle’: Ford cut production of its electric pickup — the same truck Joe Biden drove to push EVs in America. Former Chrysler CEO said infrastructure is 'not there'

However, despite the ongoing increase in electric vehicle adoption in America, the journey for the F-150 Lightning has not been as seamless as anticipated.

Matching production to customer demand

Last month, Ford announced that it would reduce production of its electric pickup truck, and explained that the decision aligned with the objective of “matching F-150 Lightning production to customer demand.” The reduction takes effect April 1.

This development led Bob Nardelli, the former CEO of Chrysler, to voice criticism towards the Biden administration's advocacy for electric vehicles.

“I think this whole EV is just another debacle in a long list of issues for this administration,” he said in an interview with FOX Business.

He added, “At one point last year [Ford] had over 100 days of inventory. So Jim Farley had no choice but to cut production. He had all that working capital tied up. The dealers were upset because they weren't moving products.”

To be sure, Ford managed to sell 24,165 F-150 Lightning trucks in 2023, which marked a 55% increase from 2022.

However, the majority of Ford's pickup truck customers still preferred models equipped with an internal combustion engine, as evidenced by the company's total sales of 750,789 F-Series vehicles for 2023.

From range anxiety to charging anxiety

Nardelli also highlighted the challenges associated with the transition to EVs, specifically the issue of charging infrastructure.

“You look at the recent debacle we've seen with the weather where people can no longer get their cars charged. Their batteries go dead overnight because they're trying to automatically keep them warm so they can accept the charge,” he said.

“So the infrastructure is just not there. We've moved from range anxiety to charging anxiety.”

Nevertheless, there are efforts underway to expand the charging infrastructure.