Latest news with #ModelTmoment
Newsweek
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Ford Following Ram's Lead For Its Future Electric Trucks
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Ford's truck future may be electrified, but not all electric. Representatives for the Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker, including CEO Jim Farley, expressed interest in EREV, or Extended Range Electric Vehicle, technology at Ford's "Model T moment" event in Louisville, Kentucky, yesterday. "We're now number three in hybrid, we're number two in EVs, and we're number one in combustion," Farley told reporters. "We really like EREVs for a certain duty cycle. It makes a lot of sense for customers, but the key is: Can you execute it the right way, and can you do it profitably, with the right size battery? And, we're excited to show everyone when that comes through." The comment follows the interest Farley expressed during the company's Q4 2024 earnings call, saying the technology is a better solution for large truck and SUV drivers than battery-electric powertrains. In response to a reporter's question at the Louisville event, Doug Field, Ford's chief EV, digital and design officer, explained that he was in the city to discuss the new, battery-electric midsize truck his company had developed, but with a glimmer in his eye and a half-smile on his face explained that the platform that truck was developed on is scalable and intimated that it's capable of being the base for EREV technology. Alan Clarke, executive director of advanced EV development at Ford, sitting next to Field, nodded in agreement while wearing a similar smirk. EREVs combine motors, a battery pack and generator that work together with an internal combustion engine to maximize efficiency. The engine doesn't move the vehicle forward, rather its power is turned into electrical power and motors make the vehicle move. A large part of Ford's business is large trucks. The company's F-Series is the top-selling truck in the country for 47 years straight. A Ford F-250 Super Duty with an internal combustion engine, weighing between 5,600 and 7,500 pounds, can tow up to 22,000 pounds in some current configurations. GMC's Hummer EV weighs 9,000 pounds, thanks in large part to its 2,800-pound battery, and can tow just 12,000 pounds in its most capable variant. Ford's interest brings a natural comparison to the one American automaker actively pursuing the technology for its pickup truck line, Ram. In fact, Tim Kuniskis, Ram Brand CEO, recently revealed that the EREV of the company's 1500 full-size pickup truck has leapfrogged Ram's planned battery-electric truck in terms of an on-sale date. The plan is to now bring it to market in early 2026. The Ram 1500 Ramcharger is advertised as delivering a 690-mile all-electric range, 14,000-pound maximum towing capacity, 2,625 maximum payload capacity and 647 horsepower. The Ram 1500 is one classification size smaller than the Ford Super Duty. With Ford's new midsize truck being the first vehicle off the line for the company on the new platform, it is likely that a new EREV truck would come to market after that date.
Yahoo
06-08-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
'This is a Model T moment for us': Ford teases new family of affordable EVs, here's what to expect
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Rumors suggest a small electric pick-up truck is in the making 'Skunkworks' project was set up to bring more affordable EVs to the masses Ford will unveil more on August 11 Ford's CEO, Jim Farley, announced on a recent earnings call that the company was due to unveil plans for a family of affordable EVs, referring to the scheduled event as a "Model T moment for us at Ford". Farley, who has gone on record to explain just how good the competition from China is (he was famously impressed by a Xiaomi SU7), explained that the company needed to double-down on its EV plans if it is to remain competitive in the future. As a result, Farley oversaw the foundation of a 'skunkworks' team last year that was brought in to develop a low-cost electric vehicle platform that could underpin a series of new electrified models at speed and at scale. At the time, Ford was losing as much as $5.5 billion per year on EVs, which includes the Ford F-150 Lightning pick-up, the Mustang Mach-E, the Explorer and the slow-selling Capri and Puma Gen-E in European markets. Alan Clarke, an ex-Tesla employee who was previously in charge of overseeing the development of Model Y, was reportedly part of the 100-strong team that was tasked with introducing lithium iron phosphate battery-powered EVs that could compete on price with rivals coming out of China. Now, Farley has said that the company plans to reveal the culmination of that work at an event in Kentucky on August 11, comparing the moment to Ford's earliest mass-produced motor vehicle that opened up motoring to the general public in the early 1900s. What we can expect from Ford's announcement Industry insiders have been suggesting online that the new platform is likely to underpin a smaller, more compact pick-up truck that would offer a respectable range and impressive hauling abilities, but cost less than today's $54,780 F-150 Lightning. Farley has previously hinted that pricing will be under $30,000 (around £23,000 / AU$46,000) for the cheapest products on the upcoming platform, according to Inside EVs, but didn't go as far to state exactly what those products would be. We can also expect to see an SUV make that list, as Ford doesn't currently sell the Explorer or the Capri outside of Europe, seeing as both of those cars were a platform-sharing exercise with Volkswagen. Dig under the skin, and you'll see that they share most of their parts with the ID.4 with disappointing results, but this all new skunkworks platform would allow the company to have greater control over an SUV that would appeal more to the US market and could rival a slew of excellent models from Kia, Hyundai, Chevrolet and Tesla. Finally, this new all-electric platform could also underpin a second attempt at a full-sized electric pick-up truck that could not only undercut the current F-150 Lightning, but also cost a lot less than a Rivian R1T, Chevy Silverado EV and Tesla's failing Cybertruck. You might also like I've driven the new Ford Capri – and it proves that nailing the retro-inspired EV brief isn't easy "AI will leave a lot of white-collar people behind" - Ford CEO latest to claim AI will wipe out millions of jobs I've driven the new Mercedes-Benz CLA and it convinced me that EV efficiency can actually be exciting
TechCrunch
31-07-2025
- Automotive
- TechCrunch
Ford to reveal more about its new low-cost electric vehicles on August 11
Ford is set to reveal more information about its upcoming low-cost electric vehicles at an event in Kentucky on August 11. And the company is talking a very big game: CEO Jim Farley said Wednesday that the announcement is 'a Model T moment' for Ford. Farley made the comments after Ford revealed its electric vehicle division posted a loss of around $1.3 billion in the second quarter of 2025. Sales of the company's top two EVs, the F-150 Lightning and the Mustang Mach-E, are declining, all while things are looking increasingly tough for electric vehicles under the second Trump administration. Farley first revealed that Ford had a skunkworks team developing a low-cost electric vehicle in February 2024. As TechCrunch first reported, the effort is being led by former Tesla executive Alan Clarke, and the team is brimming with talent from companies like Tesla, Rivian, Apple, and Lucid Motors. The company has been deliberately vague about any specifics, but has admitted that the first vehicle to be built on this new low-cost platform will be a mid-size pickup truck set for release in 2027. Ford has said it will build 'multiple vehicle styles — for both retail and commercial customers' on the platform, and that these vehicles will feature 'personalized digital experiences.' Cheaper models could help Ford, but 2027 is still a long way out. While there are basically no mass-market electric vehicles available in the U.S. at or under $30,000, that likely won't be the case when Ford's secretive EVs hit the market in two years. Tesla has said it will start selling a stripped-down (and possibly smaller) Model Y SUV later this year. General Motors is bringing back the Chevy Bolt next year. And Jeff Bezos-backed startup Slate Auto is putting its own low-cost electric pickup on sale as early as late 2026.
