Ford previewed a major shift in its business strategy last week when the automaker announced that it would be splitting itself into two distinct entities – Model e, which will focus on EVs, and Ford Blue, which will continue to handle ICE-powered vehicles. One of the many interesting tidbits that came from this announcement was the fact that Model e will have considerable influence over Ford Blue, and that the latter would focus on making improvements in terms of lowering costs and increasing efficiency. As it turns out, the automaker could achieve both by dropping some cab configurations on the Ford F-Series.
“You know, on the complexity side, I think it surprised even us that the F-150 Lightning generated 200,000 reservations with one cab, one box, 4×4, those are the truck choices, and standard and long-range battery,” said Lisa Drake vice president for EV industrialization, Ford Model e. “200,000 units at scale on one body style configuration. Dearborn Trucking – Kentucky truck, for example, can run 70, 80, in some cases, 90 jobs an hour in those facilities. And you can imagine how efficient they will be when we can reduce that complexity on EVs down to the levels that we’ve seen on the F-150 Lightning? That is going to unlock amazing efficiency through the process. And when we learn those things, we will then apply them back to Ford Blue. This is this complementary work that we see between these two organizations and I’m super excited to get started.”
Though Drake doesn’t specifically come out and confirm that FoMoCo is looking at reducing the cab configurations on the Ford F-Series, these comments certainly seem to indicate that it’s possible, at least. And it would make a lot of sense, as SuperCrew, four-wheel drive pickups tend to dominate the sales charts these days.
Ford has also already made this same type of move a number of times in recent months. As Ford Authority exclusively reported last June, the 2022 Ford Super Duty King Ranch and Platinum trims are only available with four-wheel drive, as is also the case with the 2022 Ford Edge. Meanwhile, many more changes are on the horizon for The Blue Oval, as Ford is moving to more of a build-to-order paradigm that will pare down inventory on dealer lots and focus on models of limited configurations.
We’ll have more on this as soon as it’s available, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford F-Series news, Ford Super Duty news, Ford F-150 news, and continuous Ford news coverage.
A move sure to please F1 fans.
Another nice example of the luxurious SUV.
It's still a clean sweep for the ever-popular van in 2025.
For years, Ford hasn't offered a true subcompact crossover in the U.S.
Will this rebrand go over well with consumers?
Low-interest financing and bonus cash on best-selling three-row crossover.
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Big mistake killing Supercab ...
100%. I have zero interest in a 5.5' box for anything I need a truck for. Guess im stuck in the used market then.
If they plan to restrict the customers choices, they better think about how they might react.
They've already surrendered the entire car market (except Mustang) to other manufacturers.
The assumption that customers would buy an EcoSport Premium instead of a Focus ST was absurd. Those customers are gone, maybe forever.
Makes alot of sense. Get rid of the strength of your product. One reason f series has been so successful is the amount of different models and configurations. Greed will always bring you down. What brings down a company more than competition is bad decisions from within. The new executives don't look at history. They can't see the forest for the trees. No common sense.
Just don’t lose the CREW CAB CONFIGURATION🙏🏽. I don’t fit very comfortably in very much anything else that is a Ford truck. Plus all I drive AND prefer is my/a Ford crew cab FX4 Lariat. I was looking for another Harley edition truck but that went away😔😡😢🤭so I went a level down in my book 📕
Pretty simple to me. You take away what people really want and they'll dump Ford totally. Easy to switch over to GM if I can't get what I want at Ford.
Can't imagine not being able to get the SuperCab, should delete the regular cab, reminds me why a retired GM employee always bought Ford trucks, said he couldn't get the 8ft. bed on the SuperCab on a GM truck so he bought Fords
Not so for GM years ago. I own a 2001 Silverado 3500 Dually Extended Cab with an 8 foot bed. Would keep it, but just picked up a 2022 F350 Supercab to take its place.
Ford should find away to fix or upgrade there transmission and torque converter on the f150 ecoboost absolute garbage both mine went out at just over a 100k. I have bought fords my entire life and have never experienced anything like this ecoboost.
So.... your complaint is with the transmission and torque converter, not the ecoboost engine. Maybe you just don't know as much about vehicles as you think you do.
Ford recalled my truck (f150 ecoboost!) for cam rattling problem and took it in and had it reprogrammed, wish I hadn’t, the truck is sluggish, and will not run in 10 th gear under 50 and there is a vibration, wondering if there is any others out there with similar problem and if Ford going to address this issues and problem.
Ford would be wise to go back to a buyer being able to build a truck or what ever you want! When you start adding different options to your order you should be able and order anything you want ! Any option that was available on any truck now! An XLT with leather seats or towing mirrors with power fold and power telescoping plus much more options! Packages scare people away from buying a more decked out truck! I want it my way! Or a King Ranch interior in a XLT! Anyone else want it your way! Option as you want! Even do with Mustangs!
That's the way manufacturer's used to sell vehicles back when I first started driving in the early 70s. They had a few vehicles on the lot and several of them were "demonstrators". It took about 6 weeks to get my "Special Order" 1970 Nova SS delivered.
Late 1962, my brother walked into Danyluck Motors in Glendale California. He sat down with the salesman. Studebaker Lark Regal, 2-door sedan. Red. 4-speed, 3.90:1 Twin-Traction axle. AM pushbutton radio. Heater. R2 Avanti V8. All ticked off in little tick-boxes on a paper order form. $250 deposit, handed my brother a carbon of the order, kept a carbon for himself, and put the rest of the order form in an envelope, added a stamp, and threw it in the mailbox out front. Six weeks later, his new Lark arrived.
No "packages" where you are compelled to spend $4500 to get $600 item. No stepping up an entire trim level just to be able to GET options you want.
I just got a '22 Ram 1500 Big Horn. It was a factory order, built as I wanted it. Ordered January 14, delivered February 18. Note: everything works, and is hooked up. No missing chips or circuits with "Parts will be sent to the dealer when available", which means the parts will not arrive but you will get a coupon good for $250 off on your next Whatever product.
The Big Horn is the bottom-most trim level if you don't count the Classic. Yet, I could get it with a lot of "nice" items that require you to buy a higher-end trim in a Ford.
It's the same with the Bronco. My Bronco build date is now estimated to be in 2024. I can order a new Jeep Wrangler, and get it in 8-12 weeks. I just don't understand how Ford could have screwed up so bad. Someone needs to be fired over this fiasco.
By the time you ordered all those things, you would have built a King Ranch. I just ordered a King Ranch with a 3.5L Powerboost Hybrid. Ordered it my way on Oct 15, 2021 and will be in Mar 22. Hybrids take a little longer to build. No worries, they are giving me a great trade in on my 2019 Lariat. Purchased it new in 2019 for $62,000 giving me $49,000 for it now. They really want those used F150.
They reprogrammed mine and I have the same problems with 10th gear. And mine seems sluggish as well. I imagine it will affect both max leave and obviously performance.
Just put my 2019 Lariat in the shop for cam phaser rattle. They are going to put in new cam phasers in. That is the fix because reprogramming doesn't work. It causes transmission shutter. They said it should take a week or less, depending on parts. I have 18,000 miles on it. Been rattling since 14 or 15,000 miles. Oh well, it is still under warranty.