As demand for all-electric vehicles began falling behind expected levels of growth months ago, Ford – like many automakers – decided to scale back some of its planned investments in electrification. However, that plan also involves pivoting to smaller, cheaper EVs amid ongoing pricing disparity, and FoMoCo has since delayed the launch of the planned three-row Ford Explorer EV and second-generation Ford F-150 EV. When speaking during the automaker’s Q4 2023 earnings call with investors, Ford CEO Jim Farley also noted that The Blue Oval plans to limit its large Ford EVs to the commercial side of its business, too.
“So the bigger vehicles, they better be work. But if you do the economics and all that battery capacity for a vehicle that’s, let’s say, the Escape or smaller, it’s totally different,” Farley said. “It completely works. In fact, it’s dramatically better operating cost than a Corolla or a Civic or even a Maverick. And that is what’s really exciting for us. And that’s a pivot that isn’t entirely obvious that Ford has made, but we have made it”
During this same call, Farley reiterated that demand for EVs in the Ford Pro commercial division remains strong, as has been the case for years now. The CEO noted that its fleet-focused EV model business “is actually going much better than we thought,” with the F-150 Lightning Pro and E-Transit facing heavy demand.
These comments also mesh with some others that Blue Oval CFO John Lawler recently made concerning large Ford EVs, which he previously said would be “very limited in scope.” At the same time, the automaker is working on a low-cost EV platform that will underpin a crossover with a $25k price tag that’s slated to arrive in 2026, along with a possible small pickup and ride-sharing vehicle, to boot.
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Comments
Large EVs may be cost efficient in energy consumption but the needed battery will limit the range. Hybrids will be better with larger vehicles, such as the Super Duty line. As a fact, the world’s largest vehicle is a hybrid! It is the Tractor Crawler used by NASA to carry the largest spaceships, from the Apollo/ Saturn to the Space Shuttle and the new SLS from the Vertical Assembly Building to the launch pad.I have seen it up close.
I wish Ford would take the new Mustang and make a Ranchero version out of it…delete yhe back seats, make the bed 6 feet…and offer an optional bench seat. Imagine a Mustang Dark Horse Ranchero in red with the Tremec 6 speed manual…..now there is a car I would want!