Earlier this year, Ford revealed that it was shifting its focus away from larger, pricier all-electric vehicles and toward smaller, lower-cost models, based on consumer preferences and global trends. At that time, we also learned that a skunkworks team led by a former Tesla executive had been working on a low-cost Ford EV platform for the past two years already, one that will underpin a handful of future models starting with a crossover slated to launch in 2026 with a $25k price tag. However, this future low-cost Ford EV platform won’t just do battle with rivals in the U.S. – rather, it’s also seemingly aimed at potential Chinese competition as well, according to Ford CFO John Lawler.
“Yeah. I think ultimately we have to compete head-to-head with them,” Lawler said at the 2024 Bank of America Automotive Summit. “And that’s why I think we raised the alarm bell on it I think before anybody else did. We started talking about it. And that was a big impetus to why we’ve gone ahead with the small platform in California, our skunkworks project, because we knew we would need to compete there.”
Ford CEO Jim Farley noted that – amid fledgling sales – the automaker needed to reboot its strategy in China, and has since shifted from creating models specifically for that market to producing existing vehicles locally. However, that market is also arguably the most competitive in terms of electric vehicles right now, spurred on by government subsidies and loads of competition.
That means Chinese EVs are not only plentiful – but cheap – in some cases, with price tags of less than $10k. As such, Farley has previously stated that he views those models are more of a threat to the automaker’s business than mandates – sentiments echoed by Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Marin Gjaja, COO of Ford Model e.
We’ll have more on the future low-cost Ford EV platform soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for 24/7 Ford news coverage.
Comments
Americans still aren’t interested. Our family joined the grassroots boycott against EVs as well. Nice to see the boycott working!
Boycott? What i see is a bunch of horse and buggy owners fighting against a new way of transportation.
It is inevitable. As an EV owner I will never go back to an ICE car. In the 3 years I have owned one, I have seen the charging network grow, then degrade and now it is growing again, the right way. If you own a home, an EV is a no brainer. If you don’t have home charging, then you need to understand the pros and cons before jumping in. That “problem” is being addressed but will take time to deploy the infrastructure needed to support those who can’t charge at home.
I travel all over with my EV with no issues finding charging. It does take longer to get somewhere but we are not talking much. We take meal and restroom breaks while charging. Soon I will add the Tesla network to my charging options. I am just waiting on the adapter. With the infrastructure money to build up the charging network, the issues most people have will be addressed and only those who are just ignorant will “boycott” the technology.
There will be ICE cars for years to come, but in the next two-three years, the already developed battery technologies and manufacturing processes will make their way into EVs. The cost of EV’s will be then be on par with ICE cars. Ultimately, 5-7 years from now, EV’s will be the majority of new cars sold and the number of ICE models will decline. Sure, some will never switch, but they will get less and less. There will always be luddites who refuse.
Its easy to avoid using high-leverage time with filing-up with ICE’s range in routine days. And a long trip re-fill or charge is very often high-leverage time. Can charging get to where it’s true pull-through parking to plug in safely?
I do think people would pay for the convenience to have a plugging-in robot or inductive charge spot, to avoid the chore. If public charging gets good enough, home level 2 will tail off. People will likely just use their low-leverage time at a station.
Pro-EV “anti-luddites” have shown a near complete disregard for privacy concerns. Enough public chargers hopefully eventually mean no one will need connected-car routing service. Where are the cash transactions?
Year over year, despite the slow down, EV sales continue to rise. When EVs are priced the same as ICE cars or less EV adoption will rise faster then it is now during a global economic down turn. My EV SUV electrical costs are 1/4 the cost of my petroleum ICE SUV. It is a matter of economics that more people will adopt EVs. Expect the largest EV growth in suburbs where owners can charge cheaply at home.
Americans will not be buying a $10K EV made by the Chinese. Can you say “cardboard door panels”?
Americans WILL buy a $30K compact EV. Who will make them?