Ford is in the midst of investing $50 billion in EVs as it aims to produce two million units annually by 2026, but the automaker also has a clear path on how it intends to reach that goal. While the ICE side of Ford’s business will focus on passion brands, the EV component will look quite a bit different, as those models won’t simply be electrified versions of their ICE-powered counterparts. However, that doesn’t mean that future Ford EV models won’t be compelling, as Darren Palmer, vice president of electric vehicle programs for Ford Model e, recently explained to CarsGuide.
“We use that all the time in meetings, ‘if it’s like today but a bit better, cancel it,'” Palmer said. “We’re not going to make that, it’s not the winning formula. The winning formula for Ford is picking the segments our customers love and then figuring out how to make them insanely great, to do things they’ve never done before.”
Palmer recently revealed that the next new Ford EV will be a “Ford Explorer type vehicle,” which is a perfect example of this concept. As Ford Authority reported back in June, the forthcoming Explorer EV won’t just be an all-electric version of the ICE-powered model, and instead, may be so different that traditional customers of the crossover won’t like it. Of course, the next Ford EV may not be the electrified Explorer, even though that name was tossed around to describe it.
In the meantime, Ford will continue to center its EV strategy around the idea of not only creating compelling products, but also relying on conquesting customers from other brands. To date, the automaker’s existing EVs have done an excellent job of that, routinely raking in most of their buyers from competitors as all-electric vehicles continue to gain market share at a rapid rate.
We’ll have more on Ford’s EV strategy soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for comprehensive Ford news coverage.
Comments
my worthless opinion about EV is that we have to start somewhere and that’s where we’re at. very early in something that will need to mature, battery tech needs to get allot better (which it has) hopefully increasing usable ranges and load ability, increase battery lifespan or develop batteries that don’t go bad (system that allows regeneration of degraded units),our aging electrical grid (which is precarious at best) needs revamping completely before we tax it to the point of failure, proper charging capabilities need to be standardized (stop burning houses down), and develop a realistic disposal method for the batteries that WILL GO BAD (extremely hazardous waste). these are just the basic issues that have to be overcome before EV is actually viable, i know there are many more but the point is the cart is in front of the horse here and we need to let the tech catch up with our dreams before it all crumbles. i wish we were doing the same with Hydrogen Tech it too has a bright future for us but it’ll need to be initiated .
Up state NY is finishing a giant battery recycling plant . And several more here in America are in the works . With millions of dollars in venture capital behind them . Not only that but several car companies are starting their own battery recycling factory’s . And that’s just what’s happening here in America. Europe has many such recycling places as well either going in right now or planed for the near future . The same for Asia .
In Japan older car batteries form cars like Toyota Prius are running street lights they aren’t strong enough to power cars but they are lights .
The safety of EV batteries are way way up now . And better batteries are just about coming off the factory floors now . Solid state batteries, and ones made out of different forms of lithium. Even sodium Batterys are on the way soon . The batteries that run my home couldn’t burn or explode if I hit them with a sledge hammer . They are way way much better then “Teslas power walls “ so the technology is here and it’s only getting better and cheaper .