Ford Motor Co. is cutting off customer orders for the Maverick, a hybrid affordable pickup that the automaker had rolled out in June last year, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.

Ford told its dealers in a memo that it is suspending customer orders for the Maverick pickup truck because it is already straining to fill a backlog, the WSJ reported.

The company will resume taking orders for the 2023 Maverick in the summer, the report said.

Ford did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The Maverick compact pickup truck was launched with a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain as standard equipment, a technology choice aimed at keeping the vehicle's starting price below $20,000.

The worldwide shortage of computer chips has left car manufacturers unable to complete assembly of some new vehicles. Suppy-chain and production disruptions have left auto dealers with reduced inventory levels.