Ford and General Motors are longtime rivals, and while owners may treat their automotive loyalties like sports teams, executives at both companies rarely engage in trash talk, at least publicly. That said, they do occasionally offer relatively unambiguous statements that offer a rare insight into what they think about the competition. This week, a prominent GM executive decided to do exactly that, when he indirectly panned the recently developed Ford EV skunkworks team.
Per sister site GM Authority, at the 2024 GM Investor Day event, GM President Mark Reuss discussed the company’s current and future EVs. He also decided to throw a jab at Ford, stating that “we don’t need to create a skunkworks to create affordable electric vehicles. We know how to do this.” To his credit, Reuss isn’t entirely wrong. GM’s EV sales significantly outperformed the notably thinner Ford EV lineup in the third quarter, with 32,195 units sold, compared to the Blue Oval’s 23,509 figure. That’s mostly due to the increased availability of the Blazer and Equinox EVs.
Reuss is also being a bit hypocritical however, as his company faces the same challenges as Ford when it comes to competing against Tesla and the Chinese electric vehicle industry. Like the newly created Ford EV team, which is currently helmed by a former Tesla executive, GM has also poached at least three former Tesla executives to further its EV ambitions.
And while the upcoming Ford EV lineup has been delayed and altered, GM currently has nothing to compete against the Blue Oval’s hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains. In fact, it’s scrambling to introduce plug-in hybrids into the American market, but is likely years away from that reality. Ford plans to offer at least one hybrid option per vehicle throughout the retail product range by 2030.
CEO Jim Farley says the company has “bet everything” on the Ford EV skunkworks team, which is currently developing a platform that will spawn a midsize truck, followed by other low cost fully electric vehicles.
Comments
Farley bet everything on the Skunkworks team?!?!? Wow, Farley and Ford will lose big time and Farley will be out of a job.
They need to get rid of him already.
What new vehicles is Ford working on that will bring people back to Ford? All they keep doing is “refreshing” their current vehicles that most can’t afford.
Ford has 2, maybe 3 EVs if you want to count the E-Transit, compared to GM. I beleive GM has about 7 EVs currently available and at least 2-3 more coming out next year. While Ford won’t have their next EV out until 2026 and it’ll be a mid-size truck.
I have to say that is a good looking -almost futuristic looking Ford pickup. Although with medical compromises just don’t know if I could handle putting in that square looking hook-up for the charger.
I hear Farley talking, now, where is the Hybrid versions of the Explorer ( for retail ), Ranger, Expedition and Navigator ? I am starting to see a number of Highlander Hybrids in the area and rode on one recently. Not overly impressed as the transmission jerked around a lot and when backing up was very noisey.