Back in the fall of 2022, Ford made the strategic decision to pivot away from Level 4 and 5 autonomous driving technology and more toward Level 2 and 3, which it saw as a more feasible – and profitable – venture at that time. Last June, Ford CEO Jim Farley revealed that the company was close to achieving production-ready Level 3 autonomy, which would allow users to go hands and eyes-free while driving on the highway. Farley noted that this tech could appear in production vehicles as soon as 2026, but it seems as if that won’t include the automaker’s new, low-cost EVs.
“The lower cost vehicles, you can’t put a level three electric architecture in,” Farley stated at the recent Wolfe Research Auto, Auto Tech and Semiconductor Conference. “So we’re not going to have LiDAR systems and all sorts of very sophisticated sensor set because it won’t be affordable. It’ll have its own electric architecture, which is great, but we’re not going to put all the bells and whistles on it at that price point.”
Such an admission makes sense given Ford’s laser focus on making more affordable EVs to better compete with its burgeoning Chinese rivals, coupled with its desire to make those models less complex. The Blue Oval’s skunkworks team has been working on that new, low-cost EV platform for over two years to this point, an endeavor that Farley admits Ford is “betting everything on.”
In addition to sourcing the right components for these future low-cost EV models, Farley has previously stated that sizing is important, too. In fact, he sees the proverbial sweet spot as small pickups and SUVs at the moment – given current battery technology and costs. Thus, the first model riding on this new platform is currently slated to be a mid-size pickup, one that Farley believes is a total “game changer” by his own admission.
Comments
Jim, wake up. Very few want an EV.
Amen! What is it going to take to get it through his thick skull to realize that price is not the reason people aren’t buying EVs in massive numbers! BYD could bring their supposedly $15,000 vehicles to the US, and after an initial sales surge, they would be piling up on lots!
They seem to be selling quite well in China and Europe.
Common sense tells you people would much rather buy a gas guzzling Mustang than an electric one, right?
Have you seen the sales figures? Maybe you oughta think about the future.
Too much emphasis on EVs Forget the Government interference & trust the still millions interested in ICEs When you develop a 1000 mile solid state battery as Toyota claims & it works without draining in extreme cold or hot, then let the public know till then, yall should quit bragging & as they saying goes “ Put up or shut up”
This is one of the smartest moves ford could make. People need an a to b mode of transportation. we do not want to pay for crap we will never use. this is an example of stupidity to the next level. You mean I have to spend thousands (we could never know maybe tens of thousands) for tech we will never pay subscriptions of hundreds or thousands to use. I am glad they figured this out.
Dealers pull the same stunts. Paint sealer for $1000 that comes in a $20 bottle. Stripes for $500 that leaves me wondering how much it would cost to have them removed so it wasn’t so ugly. remember what an 84 Ranger looked like. An 84 escort?
Right on Dan, a stupid friend just bought a 80,000 mercedes, and they sold her $1500 in paint protection.
I already know how to drive a car. Farley is starting to think like Henry Ford. I hope something good comes out of the skunk works, and soon before the Chinese get here.
If he figured out how to make the $10k electric car like they have in China maybe. All this focus on long range BEV is not what most people want or need. Make the hybrids and some kind of grocery getter.
Low cost EVs should only include the base necessities. Let’s start with a battery range of 200 miles max. Aerodynamics after development cost nothing. No self presenting door handles. Use a key for locking/unlocking. Plug in connectors for CarPlay, Android. No navigation system. Those provided on line are sufficient. Only a rear view camera. LED lighting throughout. Safety must still include belts, air bags, front and side. Standard heating and ac. Auto collision assist. Throw in a year of Sirius. Power windows, power driver’s seat, no memory. No voice tech. Let the phones handle it. Try to use a little less plastic.