To date, Ford’s EV strategy has helped it improve the automaker’s share in that particular market by a considerable margin, as The Blue Oval continues to rely on conquests in that segment while also continuing to focus on hybrids and ICE-powered vehicles. However, after an initial flurry of growth in terms of EV sales, things have softened a bit as of late, which prompted Ford to delay its goals of producing 600K EVs annually by 2024 and two million each year by 2026. However, electric vehicles have long been a controversial topic in the U.S. that are often politicized by both parties, with former president and current GOP front runner Donald Trump recently saying that EVs will “spell the death of the U.S. auto industry.” During a recent UAW negotiation update with the press, Ford CEO Jim Farley offered up his own response to this hot topic as well.
“And I want to say a few words about EVs. They have become a political football and that’s a shame,” Farley said. “I drove an F-150 with my son across the western U.S. this summer and I met so many people who love absolutely their EVs, like Lightning. Think about it. Tesla has become the most valuable auto company the world has ever seen, and they’re profitable and they’re growing.”
“Our customers love their EVs. They are new to our brand and they’re going to be blown away at our next-generation EVs. We’re also working on fantastic internal combustion vehicles, like Broncos and F-150s and F-150 hybrids and Expeditions. The bottom line is, customers are going to decide what kind of vehicle they buy from Ford, as they already do. Not all these people politicizing EVs.”
These comments also come in the wake of Farley accusing the United Auto Workers union of purposely delaying its negotiations with the automaker and negotiating in bad faith over its under-construction EV and battery plants, which he says are hampered by the potential for increased labor costs stemming from proposed union wage increases. However, UAW President Shawn Fain responded by claiming that Farley is “lying about the state of negotiations,” adding that the two sides remain far apart on topics including job security during the EV transition.
We’ll have more on the future of EVs soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for 24/7 Ford news coverage.
Comments
Consumers have already spoken and said in no uncertain terms “In niche applications only”. EVs are already probably at the % market share they’re going to reach, and there’s a lot more competitors trying to enter the space.
It’s going to be a blood bath as companies lose most all of their investments.
Unless there’s a massive breakthrough in battery tech which resolves weight, range and charge time, you may be right. It’s that sort of breakthrough that should have started the ‘EV’ revolution, not a forced agenda as Farley notes.
There’s no issue with EV niche vehicles like there are Raptors and GT500s, overpriced and not practical but who cares?
Don’t forget cost. It’s got to slash the boat of building these vehicles, and.somehow pay for the new manufacturing infrastructure for the batteries and motors all while competing with ICE vehicles price wise…
I do think EVs will evolve into something that people want. They will evolve into PHEVs. I don’t know if they’ll use a layout like the powerboost, or more like the Volvo PHEV, but being able to have a small battery driving the electric powertrain with an ICE backup plan is really smart. It resolves all the issues of range and batteries, while also allowing for a lot more EV only driving.
The only reason they’re not doing this already is that the big money banks behind all this (they’re pushing the governmenta to do it, not the other way around) are heavily invested in battery tech, and they’re not gonna make the money they want.off of smaller batteries.
I don’t understand…. doesn’t everyone want to support China and ensure they are economically strong? All we need to do is kill off the oil & gas industry here in the U.S. rendering ICE-powered vehicles useless, offer up huge purchase incentives using tax-payer dollars, mandate that every household buy at least one, and then force everyone to live in a 15-minute city… that’s the way the free market should work, where everything is free!! Remember, it’s not political at all, it’s just “common sense.”
Well given the current trends, Mandate IS the new Freedom. It’s a conditioning process that is going on. Shortages, intimidations, lockdowns, limits, mandating everything that is supposed to be “good” for us. In other words, America is in a re-organization to become the People’s Republic of Bidenopia. Expect less, live in fear and pay more. Happy Motoring Y’All!
You said it well. Farley says “The bottom line is, customers are going to decide what kind of vehicle they buy from Ford, as they already do. Not all these people politicizing EVs.” Too bad, indeed, that FoMoCo has largely tried to dictate to its customers what they want to buy. Long time Lincoln guy here. No more. Driving my last one. Building the Nautilus in China is the last straw for me. The South Korean companies are more “Amrican” than the “American” companies! WTF? Makes me furious…
Michael.
You are correct , it is common sense for those who have one of this and just want to feel good about “Saving the Planet ” !
Had to good laugh on Farley’s comment about his west trip . Wonder if he told all his EV lovers he talked to about his problem with charging stations that he admitted he had on this trip, and how limited the EV range vehicles are !! Good this it was a set up trip , so he had back up power following him the whole way , truck with a generator in it ! Looks like he may be regretting all the cash Ford is burning on his EV folly !!!! When you stand at losing 1.4 billion , I would say the board needs to show him the door !
Don’t worry everyone us tax payers will bail him out.
I would have to assume, the Biden and what ever Democrat in Michigan has helped Ford to PUSH this EV stuff. Just today, was at the Vet with my wifes dog, walking back to our FORD DIESEL pickup, I was almost HIT by a lady backing out with an EV, never heard a sound, and it had NO backup lights. I was a FOOT from getting hit when she saw me in her mirror. EV’s are like bringing home a herd of cows, but no barn or fenced in area for them. You don’t put the cart before the horse, and this is how EV’s are going. Oh, not to mention, Ford is buying the batteries from CHINA, Biden’s bed buddies.
Just rented/drove my first EV, a Chevy bolt. Drives nice, great acceleration, though the silent on/off is a little disconcerting. I was supposed to return it fully charged so I stopped at a charging station near the airport. 10 charging bays, one of which was broken. 11 cars waiting in line to charge. I understand the issue now first-hand. I returned the car and paid the rental company to re-charge it. The fee for this is less than I would have spent on $7/gal gas, so not all bad.
A modern electric vehicle had no back up camera or alerts for driver???
More likely a driver paying attention to her mobile. As for the silence in reverse, there may have been a sound maker, but some I have heard are barely audible.
So typical of Farley, makes me wonder what he’s smoking with his comments on his vacation.
Two words – keep them
In two years from now consumers will be choosing BEV over ICE vehicles. Battery Tech is improving so fast, battery energy density is about to double, and at that point EV’s will be a compelling choice. The price per KilloWatt will dip to below $60 by this time next year, and within two years BEV’s will be Cheaper than ICE. Any company still producing ICE vehicles by 2030 will be going out of business. Please get your head out of the sand, read more on where things are actually headed. Do your homework, don’t just believe what the negative politicians funded by the fossil fuel industry tell you. Embrace the future, stop fearing it!
If and when EVs ever get to your utopian future consumers will still be the judge of their worth. It doesn’t help their popularity when our so-called government is trying to shove them down our throats. That is not the definition of a free market.
Sweet n’ Low or Sugar with that Kool Aid?
Any company still producing ICE vehicles by 2030 will be going out of business? What flavor of kool aids are you drinking? If EVs are so desirable, then people should line up to buy them like when people switched from bricks to smartphones, right? Instead, it has to be mandated and a $7500 tax incentive. That’s how desirable these overpriced EVs are. 🙂
By the way, does anyone above care that the fossil fuel industries are subsidized by our government to the tune of $40 Billion dollars a Year! Subsidies are tax payer dollars. That has been going on for decades. But that is the coal and crude oil corporations, so that is OK, right?
I could care less. If they weren’t subsidized we’d be paying $10 for a gallon of gas. These subsidies are no different than the one Biden is throwing around.
Those subsidies you talk about are the ability to write off normal business expenses. They can write off the costs of exploration and other routine parts of the business… just like every other business in America.
The talking heads call them subsidies to make them sound like they’re not the norm for all businesses.
The actual figure for 2020 was closer to $20 billion. What you didn’t mention is that local, state and federal governments also collect taxes on every gallon of gasoline sold. In 2020 that was estimated at $56 billion in revenues. That also doesn’t take into account the income taxes paid by those working in the fossil fuel industry.
And BTW, how do you propose to generate the electricity required to charge all those EV batteries? Renewable sources will never replace the generation capacity of our aging fossil and nuclear power plants that are barely allowed to be maintained much less replaced. Maybe we can buy our electricity from China. Why not? We buy everything else from them. Oh wait, they use coal more than we do.
Sitting on the other side of the Atlantic, the fact EVs have become a political football is frankly ridiculous, but I guess that is modern US politics.
For information, in the UK & Europe (Brexit is irrelevant as the UK remains aligned with the EU for EVs) the sale of new ICE cars will be banned in 2035, though by 2030 manufacturers are (by law) required to have 80% of sales to be zero-emission vehicles, with 100% the aim by 2035.
It’s pretty evident that Ford (and all manufacturers) faces different challenges in different markets, though ironically the two EVs currently sell in Europe come from the US. Ford is collaborating with VAG, so the small Ford EVs (due next year) will use the proven VW ‘skateboard’ under a Ford body. Though there also a Ford-designed EV version of the Puma due around the same time.
At the moment the problem is not range, the UK is a lot smaller than the US, rather it’s the lack of working charging points and making provision for streets (not uncommon here) with no off-street parking for residents.
Despite ev’s being political football, ford is the only european manufacturer to go all in with ev only production at 2030. Crazy….and the guy leading this strategy recently got an industry award 😄
How’s the take rate over there? Vehicles over there were already a lot more expensive than they are in the US, so the affordability issues might be less drastic over there.
Didn’t Germany just torpedo the whole EV transition mandate anyways?
So your government has banned ICE by a certain year and our government is slowly trying to do the same thing, and you think it “ridiculous” that it’s a political football? Are you serious?
Why should we have to suffer in one of those Ev things when the so called “President” (term used loosely) is wheeling around in a super big gas guzzling ICE Limousine or SUV? Tell (censored)head to get rid of his corvette and fleet of ICE vehicles and practice what you preach! How many of Them Dummo’s in Washington DC actually drive the EV’s and how many don’t? That goes for the Dummo run states as well.
Jim, you should think why Tesla is so successful. It’s because unlike you they can roll out software updates every week. Still after 6 months waiting for my Blue Cruise 1.3 update. Or after a year waiting on my 1.2 update still.
The market is not determining the EV sales Jim but Joe Biden and other foolish politicians are mandating the EV market which is flat out wrong. If consumers want to buy EV’s that’s fine but no one should be forced to buy one. We have our own oil and natural gas to last 300 years and keep gasoline at $2/gal for as long as we can foresee and it still would be $2/gal if President Trump was still in office. Hopefully in a little more than a year he will be and our gas price will drop significantly to where the price should be and if consumers want to buy EV’s when gas is $2/gal they should be free to do so.
Sad reality but “Mandate is the new Freedom” in whatever they call the former “America” name. Be ready to be told when you can and can’t drive. You will be told what items you are allowed to buy and what you can’t buy. You will be told where you have to live reality is the former “Americans” or whatever they are called will not be allowed to make ANY decisions. You see it starting and happening already. Get out and vote against the communistcrat movement next Nov 2024. Keep America, American with all its Glory. Stand Up To, Take Charge and wipe out Democrat disease in our lifetime.