--- title: "Footage Shows Three Ford F-150 Electric Trucks Burning" description: "CNBC obtained new footage showing the dramatic fire that melted through three Ford F-150 Lightnings at a holding lot in February." date: "2023-04-25" modified: "2023-04-25" authors: - name: "Frank Landymore" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/flandymore" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/footage-ford-f-150-electric-fire" categories: - "Advanced Transport" tags: - "electric pickup" - "evs" - "ford lightning" - "the digest" --- # Footage Shows Three Ford F-150 Electric Trucks Burning ![CNBC obtained new footage showing the dramatic fire that melted through three Ford F-150 Lightnings at a holding lot in February.]() *\Image: Getty Images\* ## Catching Fire Ford was hoping its F-150 Lightning [would be the next hot commodity]() in electric pickup trucks — but probably not like this. New footage [obtained by *CNBC*]() through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) shows a close-up look at the February [fire that burned through several F-150 Lightnings]() at a holding lot in Michigan, in an alarming wake up call on Ford's quality control and the severe battery fires that seemingly plague EVs. "Let's hope it doesn't blow up," said a police officer responding to the fire in the video. "The smoke is clear as day." Photos obtained through a separate FOIA — which can be seen in the video below — show the set of three ruined F-150 Lightnings in the aftermath of fire, partially melted into the asphalt. It's not clear how long the F-150 Lightnings burned, but EV fires are notorious for [taking hours to extinguish](). https://twitter.com/CNBC/status/1649053736973770755 ## Flunked Check According to *CNBC*, the fire originated from one pickup truck, which then spread to the two others. Ironically, the trucks were being held for a final quality check while charging — and they couldn't have failed in a more dramatic way. As a result of the incident, Ford was forced to temporarily halt production of the Lightning. It also ended up recalling 18 of the vehicles, though the automaker [previously stated]() it believed the issue didn't affect Lightnings that were already sold. The root of the issue was blamed on faulty battery cells from South Korean manufacturer SK On, which Ford says short-circuited in the initial truck that caught fire. Ford and SK On have "swiftly implemented quality actions," the automaker told *CNBC* in a statement, clarifying that it resumed production of the Lightning on March 13. ## Flaming Out Even if Ford claims to have the issue under control, it's hard to deny how terrifying a problem EV battery fires can be. While it's unclear if EVs are any more prone to combusting than internal combustion engine-powered vehicles, it's undeniable that when they do go up in flames, they prove to be almost uncontrollable, and a menace even to firefighters. "We're not putting this fucker out. Look at it," said a first responder to the fire, as quoted by *CNBC*. "They have to put like a whole fucking lake on it to put them out." Not only are EV battery fires exceptionally intense, but they're incredibly difficult to extinguish as well. The lithium-ion cells that make up the battery are replete with flammable materials like graphite, and the cathodes therein release more oxygen the longer a fire burns. In short, the fires are self-sustaining, allowing them to burn for hours upon hours, and in some cases can re-ignite days — [and even weeks]() — later. Clearly, if Ford's EVs — and perhaps EVs at large — are going to catch on with a skeptical public, they'll have to [stop dramatically catching on fire](). **More on EVs:** *[Biden to Propose Extreme Car Pollution Limits to Drive Up EV Sales]()* ## Author At Futurism, my work has often centered on bringing a sense of clarity and insight to complex topics ranging from the regulation of emerging technologies to the esoteric ideologies of Silicon Valley executives, while striving not to lose the poetic sense of awe inspired by often-obscure fields like astrophysics and quantum computing. I broke the story of CNET using AI to produce articles that turned out to be riddled with factual errors and plagiarism — a dam-breaking inflection point, as I've reported, that's inspired copycats and endless discourse while beguiling stakeholders ranging from tech giants to purveyors of spam around the web. My work at Futurism has been cited by publications including CBS News, the Los Angeles Times, Vice, Gizmodo, Engadget, the Verge, and Vanity Fair. I grew up in locales ranging from India to China, and now live in the exotic suburbs of Virginia. In my free time, I'm an avid reader of weird sci-fi literature, an aficionado of East Asian cinema, and, regrettably, a relapsed gamer. Allegedly, I’m working on a debut novel, currently untitled. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()