DETROIT, Oct 8 (Reuters) - A fire at a New York aluminum

plant that is expected to affect production of Ford Motor's ( F )

F-150 truck for months will sap up to $1 billion from the

automaker's earnings, according to a Wednesday note from

Evercore ISI analysts.

The September 16 blaze at Novelis is expected to take much

of the aluminum factory down until the first quarter of 2026,

the company told Reuters, affecting the supply of the metal to

Ford's best-selling F-150 trucks through the end of the

year.

The Dearborn, Michigan, automaker's stock fell about 6%

yesterday after news of the fire.

"Novelis is one of several aluminum suppliers to Ford.

Since the fire nearly three weeks ago, Ford has been working

closely with Novelis, and a full team is dedicated to addressing

the situation and exploring all possible alternatives to

minimize any potential disruptions," a spokesperson for the

automaker said in a statement. The company declined to comment

on the Evercore note.

The supply-chain disruption is the latest challenge for the

automaker as it weathers elevated steel and aluminum prices, a

fast-changing trade environment and a battered supplier base

that is emerging from work stoppages during the COVID-19

pandemic and 2023 union strike.

While other automakers are likely to be affected by the

fire, Ford is expected to see the largest fallout, analysts

say.

"We believe this is largely a Ford issue, at this time being,

although we are continuing to check knock-on effects for

and Toyota as well," Evercore's Chris McNally wrote

in the note, which outlined a $500 million to $1 billion hit to

Ford's EBIT.

Ford began using a mainly aluminum body on its F-150 truck more

than a decade ago in an effort to reduce the weight of the

vehicle.

The automaker is set to report third-quarter earnings later

this month.