Ford confirmed its F-150 Lightning production/delivery pause is due to potential battery fires.
During a pre-delivery quality inspection, one vehicle "displayed a battery issue" (translation: caught fire?). No fires have been reported by customers.
A spokesperson for the brand says they believe they have identified the root cause, but a full investigation could take a few weeks.
Already reeling from a down quarter, the effects of the pause may linger over Ford for some time.
Why do lithium-ion batteries catch fire? Smartphones and EVs alike have been named as the cause of spontaneous battery combustion in stories before. After reading a paragraph of technical information several times, we feel confident saying this: a battery catches fire when a stressor (internal short, excessive heat, overcharging) causes it to release additional oxygen, which provides food to a fire waiting to happen in the chemical, energy-rich environment of a Li-Ion battery.