Ford says chip shortage to delay some Mustang Mach-E deliveries at least 6 weeks

DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. is preparing to inform Mustang Mach-E customers that the global semiconductor shortage will delay some vehicle deliveries by a minimum of six weeks.

An early version of a letter to customers leaked this week on a Mach-E forum. A Ford spokeswoman on Wednesday said the letter is not yet final and will go out in the coming days, but she did confirm the delay time frame.

Mach-E production at Ford's Cuautitlan, Mexico, assembly plant will continue; the delay concerns vehicles that have already been built and are awaiting chips.

"The global semiconductor shortage continues to affect global automakers and other industries in all parts of the world," Ford said in a statement. "We are working closely with all of our key suppliers to address production constraints tied to this global semiconductor shortage so we can continue to build Mach-E vehicles, and get them to our customers as quickly as we can."

The automaker has been plagued by chip-related delays and production cuts for months. At the end of the second quarter, Ford said it had 60,000 to 70,000 unfinished vehicles sitting on lots awaiting chips and related components.

CFO John Lawler said Ford expected to work through "a majority" of those vehicles by the end of this quarter.

The Mach-E has faced a number of delays during its early months in production, and Ford has compensated owners with free charging and other perks. The company has sold 15,829 Mach-E electric crossovers so far this year, and the vehicle has garnered a number of awards, including being named top utility in the North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year awards as well as Car and Driver's EV of the year.