By Nora Eckert

DETROIT (Reuters) -Ford Motor is pausing production next week at the Dearborn, Michigan plant that makes its F-150 Lightning electric pickup, a change a union official at the plant says is related to a disastrous fire at a supplier’s New York aluminum factory.

The September 16 fire at a Novelis plant is expected to disrupt production of Ford’s best-selling F-150 vehicles for months, and potentially sap $1 billion from its bottom line, according to an analyst estimate.

A memo shared with workers at the plant, viewed by Reuters, said the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center (REVC) will be off next week. Nick Kottalis, the president and chairman of Dearborn Truck, as well as the REVC, confirmed the shutdown was related to the aluminum factory fire.

Ford declined to provide specifi

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