Ford goes for an electric truck again

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techno-ag
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11:30a, 5/6/26
AG
https://www.tovima.com/wsj/the-secret-team-blowing-up-fords-assembly-line-to-make-a-30000-electric-truck/

Quote:
The crew was there to test a section of a new pickup that few at the company knew even existed. Ford's secret project had an ambitious goal: to figure out how to make electric vehicles in the U.S. that could compete with the Chinese models clobbering competitors globally.


Those pesky Chi-coms with their cheap EVs!

The question is, can Ford produce a domestic EV of any quality that cheap? Detroit is not really known for that.

Quote:
To build these new EVs, the company must use fewer people and simpler parts, and dismantle decades of engineering inertia. Chief Executive Jim Farley is calling it Ford's new "Model T moment." Rival automakers say overcoming China on EVs can't be done, given their advantages: extensive government backing, low-cost labor and a massive head start.


Don't forget our safety standards that have to be met.

But if they're going to make a cheap new vehicle, going electric is probably smart. Just don't expect it to be wildly profitable.

Quote:
Ford's past electric models have racked up billions of dollars in losses. Farley, the CEO, has bemoaned them as having many more parts and costs than are necessary. Last year the company said it would kill its much-hyped electric F-150 pickup, which cost between $50,000 and about $77,000.


Hopefully they learned from that boondoggle. Oh, and make it more attractive than the Cybertruck.
The left cannot kill the Spirit of Charlie Kirk.
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boulderaggie
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11:33a, 5/6/26
AG
F Ford.
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Tree Hugger
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11:34a, 5/6/26
AG
The "Model T" type plan mentioned above sounds a lot like what Slate motors is doing with their bare bones electric truck.
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Pichael Thompson
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11:35a, 5/6/26
Lolz

Ford has gone off the rails
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Kenneth_2003
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In reply to techno-ag • 11:47a, 5/6/26
AG
techno-ag said:
https://www.tovima.com/wsj/the-secret-team-blowing-up-fords-assembly-line-to-make-a-30000-electric-truck/

Quote:
The crew was there to test a section of a new pickup that few at the company knew even existed. Ford's secret project had an ambitious goal: to figure out how to make electric vehicles in the U.S. that could compete with the Chinese models clobbering competitors globally.


Those pesky Chi-coms with their cheap EVs!

The question is, can Ford produce a domestic EV of any quality that cheap? Detroit is not really known for that.

Quote:
To build these new EVs, the company must use fewer people and simpler parts, and dismantle decades of engineering inertia. Chief Executive Jim Farley is calling it Ford's new "Model T moment." Rival automakers say overcoming China on EVs can't be done, given their advantages: extensive government backing, low-cost labor and a massive head start.


Don't forget our safety standards that have to be met.

But if they're going to make a cheap new vehicle, going electric is probably smart. Just don't expect it to be wildly profitable.

Quote:
Ford's past electric models have racked up billions of dollars in losses. Farley, the CEO, has bemoaned them as having many more parts and costs than are necessary. Last year the company said it would kill its much-hyped electric F-150 pickup, which cost between $50,000 and about $77,000.


Hopefully they learned from that boondoggle. Oh, and make it more attractive than the Cybertruck.


Overall profitability has less to do with the sales price than the MASSIVE engineering inertia that goes into them, and that's before the UAW gets their mittens into the pie.
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techno-ag
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In reply to Kenneth_2003 • 11:48a, 5/6/26
AG
Kenneth_2003 said:
techno-ag said:
https://www.tovima.com/wsj/the-secret-team-blowing-up-fords-assembly-line-to-make-a-30000-electric-truck/

Quote:
The crew was there to test a section of a new pickup that few at the company knew even existed. Ford's secret project had an ambitious goal: to figure out how to make electric vehicles in the U.S. that could compete with the Chinese models clobbering competitors globally.


Those pesky Chi-coms with their cheap EVs!

The question is, can Ford produce a domestic EV of any quality that cheap? Detroit is not really known for that.

Quote:
To build these new EVs, the company must use fewer people and simpler parts, and dismantle decades of engineering inertia. Chief Executive Jim Farley is calling it Ford's new "Model T moment." Rival automakers say overcoming China on EVs can't be done, given their advantages: extensive government backing, low-cost labor and a massive head start.


Don't forget our safety standards that have to be met.

But if they're going to make a cheap new vehicle, going electric is probably smart. Just don't expect it to be wildly profitable.

Quote:
Ford's past electric models have racked up billions of dollars in losses. Farley, the CEO, has bemoaned them as having many more parts and costs than are necessary. Last year the company said it would kill its much-hyped electric F-150 pickup, which cost between $50,000 and about $77,000.


Hopefully they learned from that boondoggle. Oh, and make it more attractive than the Cybertruck.


Overall profitability has less to do with the sales price than the MASSIVE engineering inertia that goes into them, and that's before the UAW gets their mittens into the pie.
I suspect it's mostly because there are a lot fewer parts.
The left cannot kill the Spirit of Charlie Kirk.
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Bunk Moreland
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11:50a, 5/6/26
I have zero issues with EV's or companies choosing to embark on EV ventures. I have major issues with our government making bull**** mandates that force companies to chase some impossible standard or regulation and fundamentally hurt their business tripping over themselves to do so.
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FIDO*98*
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11:50a, 5/6/26
AG
I'm about to get a new Club Car for running around Padre Island. When the new model came out I was shocked it wasn't more expensive. The Club Car rep told me they are getting destroyed by the 4-Forward Chinese models and had the lowest margin he's seen on the new model
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Logos Stick
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11:51a, 5/6/26
Time to short Ford.
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ntxVol
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In reply to techno-ag • 11:54a, 5/6/26
techno-ag said:
Oh, and make it more attractive than the Cybertruck.
Goes without saying, that's the ugliest thing on the road, sights should be set much higher.
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Picard
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11:54a, 5/6/26
AG
The wrong Farley cousin was taken from us

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Over_ed
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11:55a, 5/6/26
AG
Difficult to see how US companies are going to be competitive on electronics, battery, rare earth etc. with Chinese. Even if they are hoping to sell at a premium.

To be "competitive", they will have to get the labor costs waaaay down. Robots to the rescue?

Unions will not be happy.
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ntxVol
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In reply to Over_ed • 11:58a, 5/6/26
Over_ed said:
Difficult to see how US companies are going to be competitive on electronics, battery, rare earth etc. with Chinese. Even if they are hoping to sell at a premium.

To be "competitive", they will have to get the labor costs waaaay down. Robots to the rescue?

Unions will not be happy.
There's something like a 35% tariff on trucks. They won't be competing with the Chinese.
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Picard
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In reply to Over_ed • 12:04p, 5/6/26
AG
Over_ed said:
Unions will not be happy.


Well, at least there's one silver lining here
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IIIHorn
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In reply to Logos Stick • 2:27p, 5/6/26
Logos Stick said:
Time to short Ford.



I see what you did there.


( ...voice punctuated with a clap of distant thunder... )
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torrid
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2:28p, 5/6/26
AG
This is the Alpha Wolf. I don't know how many light years away they are from production, but I totally want to buy one. I really think they are going for the 80s Toyota Back To The Future truck look.

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IIIHorn
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In reply to Over_ed • 2:28p, 5/6/26
Over_ed said:
Difficult to see how US companies are going to be competitive on electronics, battery, rare earth etc. with Chinese. Even if they are hoping to sell at a premium.

To be "competitive", they will have to get the labor costs waaaay down. Robots to the rescue?

Unions will not be happy.


They will resist?


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CactusThomas
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2:37p, 5/6/26
AG
You want to use simpler and fewer parts? Put the dang 7.3L Godzirra in everything.

Better yet bring back the 7.3L PSD. Those should be the only two options- Godzilla or 7.3 PSD.
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AgGrad99
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3:40p, 5/6/26
AG
Jim Farley recently toured Asia/China, and has been pretty vocal, about being shocked at what he learned. He thinks we're light years behind and is doing what he can to catch up as fast as possible.

An electric vehicle does not work for me. But it does for a lot of people. If they can adapt the maverick, or Ranger into an electric vehicle, I could see them being extremely popular. Especially if they can improve charging times and range.

EV's aren't going away, and China is touting some pretty impressive advances with their batteries. I dont fault Ford for trying to advance the same technology with one vehicle, as a proof-of-concept to the US. Ford's not just competing here at home. They need to match other brand's globally, since their market share is declining.

Doing R&D on potential future vehicles, as an expansion to your line, is a much better plan than forcing an ill-equipped EV F150 onto the market, because they had to comply with mandates.

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AgGrad99
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3:51p, 5/6/26
AG
Fwiw- I saw one of these BYD PHEV in Austin the other day. It had Mexican plates. They aren't sold here, but they are in Mexico, so we might start seeing them around the State a bit more.

Not gonna lie...it looked pretty cool in person.

I think there were rumors a few years ago they'd be $15k, but from what I can tell, they're about $45k.



Quote:
Instead, it brings a plug-in hybrid powertrain that allows for roughly 60 miles of electric-only driving and an estimated 522 miles of total range when combining the battery and gas tank.
The Shark uses its 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine purely as a generator, powering a 29.6kWh battery that feeds two electric motors to produce a combined 430 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque. Those are stout numbers for a midsize pickup, and BYD claims a 062-mph sprint of 5.7 seconds.

I understand why FORD feels the need to advance their line up.
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Secolobo
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4:14p, 5/6/26
AG
Chinese labor =\= to UAW
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deddog
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In reply to Secolobo • 4:19p, 5/6/26
AG
Secolobo said:
Chinese labor =\= to UAW

It will be cheaper for Ford to build them in China and ship them here.They will never be able to compete with a union manufactured truck.
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AggieKatie2
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4:26p, 5/6/26
AG
Ford is lugging around too much union weight to make this work most likely. I appreciate the attempt, and maybe it'll succeed (I'm doubtful based upon the current Big 3s awful quality control and bland offerings.

Based on current battery tech, the sweet spot (as it should have been 10 years ago) is hybrid.
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agdx88
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In reply to AgGrad99 • 4:31p, 5/6/26
AG
This is the future of electric vehicles at least for travel and heavy use. Small generator to recharge on the go.
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JClark97
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4:32p, 5/6/26
AG
Tesla needs to make a normal looking truck like the pictures above. I like the new Model Y (big jump from previous models in appearance and smooth ride), but I'd rather have a normal looking truck.
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Logos Stick
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In reply to IIIHorn • 4:32p, 5/6/26
IIIHorn said:
Logos Stick said:
Time to short Ford.



I see what you did there.



You're too good, man. I got it after you posted it.
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AgGrad99
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In reply to agdx88 • 4:35p, 5/6/26
AG
agdx88 said:
This is the future of electric vehicles at least for travel and heavy use. Small generator to recharge on the go.

Agreed.

This is what RAM is doing with their REV (690 mile range). But it's priced 65k-85k
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hph6203
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6:05p, 5/6/26
AG
CATL: 10-80% in 3 minutes 40 seconds. That's around 3 hours of driving with a <4 minute stop. 90% capacity retention after 1000 cycles, or >250,000 miles. CATL is placing warranties on their batteries for half a million miles.



BYD: 10-97% in 9 minutes 30 seconds. That's close to 4 hours of driving.



Tesla is shipping their China made Model 3 with supposedly inferior safety to Canada for a sale price of $29,000, less than an equivalent Camry hybrid.




Ford's manufacturing process for the proposed vehicle is copying Tesla's currently in production Cybercab.






Every one of these threads fails to recognize technology progression and fails the Innovator's Dilemma while making the same mistakes that are described in the book. Go hybrid, it's the best of both worlds, when in reality it's worse than the old and new technology. More expensive than the old, doesn't capture the benefits of the new. Eventually the new exceeds the capabilities of the hybrid and you just spent years and billions chasing a non-viable solution.

Ford is chasing the correct response. Might be too late.
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Logos Stick
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In reply to hph6203 • 6:16p, 5/6/26
Given the electrical consumption required by AI going forward, we don't have the grid growth capacity to support any significant increase in EV demand.

ETA, wait until people are vandalizing your EV out of anger because of scheduled blackouts.
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IIIHorn
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In reply to Logos Stick • 8:45p, 5/6/26
Logos Stick said:
IIIHorn said:
Logos Stick said:
Time to short Ford.



I see what you did there.



You're too good, man. I got it after you posted it.


Well done nonetheless!


( ...voice punctuated with a clap of distant thunder... )
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IIIHorn
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8:50p, 5/6/26
Have any of you secured the copyright for the Dodge Recharger brand?


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pinche gringo
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In reply to CactusThomas • 8:50p, 5/6/26
AG
CactusThomas said:
You want to use simpler and fewer parts? Put the dang 7.3L Godzirra in everything.

Better yet bring back the 7.3L PSD. Those should be the only two options- Godzilla or 7.3 PSD.


The only trucks I drive. I have five of them.
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IIIHorn
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8:59p, 5/6/26
So anyway …

If a Dodge and a Ram enter an intersection at the same time, what happens?


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Old Sarge
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9:29p, 5/6/26
AG
Moving from a 97 F150 Lariat (not including a burner Fusion in that time frame) to a 2020 TRD Tacoma Off Road (which is a "perfect" truck for my needs), only to have Toyota go completely off-Reservation with all their trucks to either a turbo or turbo/hybrid makes me want to puke.

The naturally aspirated V-8 /V-6 motor are the longest life motors (later gens, sans alternating pistons) ever known. Hybrid still has a battery component that makes the vehicle WAAAY more expensive than one needs to have it be.

WTF are we doing here? The move from naturally aspirated motors in vehicles, forced by leftist motivated CAFE standards are imposing an increased purchaser/ownership tax via increased costs of purchase and increased cost of ownership over the life of a vehicle. And it is not necessary.

We are putting our own heads in the headgates imposed upon us by our government, to comply with standards forced upon an industry by said government.

All this, brought to us by a farce called Man Made Climate Change. A G-damn FARCE.

We are paying WAAYY more than we should have to for vehicles. Period.
"Green" is the new RED.
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hph6203
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In reply to Logos Stick • 9:47p, 5/6/26
AG
When is the grid most likely to experience a shortfall of production?

When do EVs typically charge?

Are those timeframes overlapping or not?

When do AI data centers primarily consume energy? Do they have flat, predictable consumption patterns or are they unpredictable spikes?


Blackouts are caused by demand in excess of production. EVs don't contribute to that, because they are overwhelmingly off peak consumers of electricity from the grid and operate off battery during peak grid consumption.

AI data centers are a consistent load on the grid and a permitted based upon actual capacity. Most will be built with battery storage to limit spikes of demand from the grid, preventing demand shocks/grid instability, meaning if needed their demand can be reduced from the grid to limit blackouts.
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