DETROIT — Ford Motor is suspending manufacturing of its electrical F-150 Lightning pickup for an additional week following a battery difficulty that resulted in one of many automobiles catching hearth early this month.

Ford stated Friday its battery provider, SK, has began constructing battery cells once more at a plant in Georgia however it can take time “to make sure they’re again to constructing high-quality cells and to ship them to the Lightning manufacturing line.”

“The groups labored rapidly to establish the basis reason for the problem,” Ford stated in an announcement Friday. “We agree with SK’s really helpful modifications of their gear and processes for SK’s cell manufacturing traces.”

Ford final week stated it anticipated Lightning manufacturing to be down via not less than this week, as engineers decided the basis reason for the battery difficulty and applied enhancements to the manufacturing course of.

The hearth occurred Feb. 4 in a holding lot throughout a pre-delivery high quality examine whereas the automobile was charging, adopted by Ford suspending manufacturing and issuing a stop-shipment of the automobiles to sellers. Ford stated engineers decided there was no proof of a charging fault.

Ford stated it isn’t conscious of any incidents of this difficulty in automobiles which have already been delivered to clients and sellers.

The F-150 Lightning is being intently watched by traders, because it’s the primary mainstream electrical pickup truck in the marketplace and a serious launch for Ford.

The battery difficulty provides to ongoing “execution points” detailed to traders earlier this month by Ford CEO Jim Farley that crippled the automaker’s fourth-quarter earnings.