It wasn’t too terribly long ago that Ford – along with many other automakers – announced ambitious plans to invest heavily in the area of electrification, along with the planned launch of many new all-electric vehicles. However, in recent months, EV adoption has tapered off a bit compared to expected levels of growth, and those same automakers have adjusted their strategies accordingly. For Ford, the new strategy is to take a multi-pronged approach and offer customers a variety of powertrain options, and that won’t change even if soon-to-be President Donald Trump kills the existing $7,500 federal EV tax credit, which is reportedly set to happen after he takes office.
“Strategy in itself doesn’t change. Right? What we do is provide choice,” John Lawler, Ford’s vice chair and chief financial officer, stated at the recent Barclays Global Autos Conference. “ICE, multi energy, hybrid, plugin, HEV, obviously there will be other multi energy choices coming, and then EVs. The strategy is not going to change. We are going to provide the consumers choice. They can choose the best propulsion system that fits their duty cycle and their need.”
It remains unclear if Trump will in fact eliminate the federal EV tax credit, though the Ford-backed lobby group Alliance for Automotive Innovation has asked him not to. Regardless, Ford is now touting the fact that its lineup offers customers “freedom of choice” in regard to powertrain options, with CEO Jim Farley stating that the company will allow customers to dictate the pace of EV adoption.
In the meantime, Ford plans to offer a hybrid powertrain option across its entire Ford Blue (ICE) lineup by 2030, all while it develops a new low-cost EV platform slated to underpin a mid-size pickup and other models in the future – as well as, potentially, extended range EVs. Future all-electric vehicles will reportedly be sold for little more than hybrids as well, though Ford will need to work to drive down costs to make that happen.
Comment
Trumps needs a new act of Congress to “kill” the incentive, since it is part of the Act that Biden and Congress passed before. And I bet many Congress members will not allow Trump to “kill” that Act. Another false Trump promise!