Ford Motor Co. F,
slows production of its F-150 pick-up truck – the company’s largest money maker – due to a shortage of semiconductors as global computer chip supply constraints penetrate deeper into the automotive industry.
Ford said Thursday that it will cut production of the F-150 at a Detroit factory from three shifts to just one eight-hour shift next week. The other F-150 plant, in Kansas City, will run two of its three shifts next week, with both plants returning to their normal 24-hour schedule on February 15.
The cuts mark a significant escalation of the chip shortage problem that has disrupted the auto industry worldwide in recent weeks.
The F-150 is the country’s best-selling car and Ford’s profit engine, fueling most of its worldwide income.
An expanded version of this article appears on WSJ.com.
Popular stories from WSJ.com: