Ford Revises / Pulls Back EV Rollout Schedule

[GlennSullivan]

Ford is revising its EV plan which evidently included electric versions of the Explorer and Expedition and now plans to introduce hybrid versions of these vehicles instead of the planned fully electric vehicles.

https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/ford-cancels-plans-for-electric-suv-44817367?st=fiik885llrhlwti&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

 

[JasonH]

Love my EVs, but can understand why some people are hesitant to switch. Many new EVs are expensive and the charging infrastructure is still unreliable. All the low hanging fruit customer has been picked. Now they have to convince the average consumer to make the transition and it's harder with high vehicle prices, low gas prices, and crappy charging infrastructure. Ford needs to get the prices closer to the 30K range.

 

[mr_dave]

Until the industry fixes the range / battery capacity and very poor charging experience issues, EVs are a complete non-starter for me and I'm sure many others.

And don't even get me started about those of us who need to pull trailers, do actual work, and live in cold climates.

 

[Polo08816]

Until the industry fixes the range / battery capacity and very poor charging experience issues, EVs are a complete non-starter for me and I'm sure many others.

And don't even get me started about those of us who need to pull trailers, do actual work, and live in cold climates.

+1.

In my opinion, range is a bigger problem than charging infrastructure. No matter how the charging infrastructure improves, I don't foresee pull through charging stations for vehicles with trailers anytime soon.

When you can't improve charging infrastructure meaningfully, then you have to improve range to the point where charging infrastructure outside your residence is not a problem. If your tow vehicles needs to be able to tow for 400-500 miles at a full load before needing to be recharged, then your unloaded range has to be anywhere from 1200-1500 miles. That's not going to happen until battery technology improves substantially.

 

[BMW2FORD]

The issue with more range means more charging time at the charger and a much heavier vehicle. With such a weak charging infrastructure, longer range cars will take even longer to charge tying up limited charging spots. If they could have a better infrastructure, an EV with 300-400 miles range would be doable for most but right now it’s a struggle to charge outside of home. Not to mention the cost significantly varies location to location. Also, a car that gets more than 30mpg when gas is around $3.29 a gallon is more cost affective. Not to mention the MSRP.

 

[JasonH]

When you can't improve charging infrastructure meaningfully, then you have to improve range to the point where charging infrastructure outside your residence is not a problem. If your tow vehicles needs to be able to tow for 400-500 miles at a full load before needing to be recharged, then your unloaded range has to be anywhere from 1200-1500 miles. That's not going to happen until battery technology improves substantially.

The demographic towing that far is really really small. I bought my EL to tow and stop every 200 - 250 miles. That's around three to fours hours of driving. That's enough range for me. The Silverado can attain similar range numbers right now, but it's priced at 100K. If it was 20K cheaper it wouldn't be any worse than a highly optioned F150 or F250, with substantial savings on fuel for local driving. But you're right about the chargers, nore pull through charging is a must for long-distance towing. The Ramcharger will be an interesting offering. Best of electric and gas, with local driving on full electric and long distance using both electric and gas.

 

[techdude99]

I'm a fan of EV's for certain situations. I drive 30 miles round trip every day and don't plan on taking any long trips with it, so it makes sense for my situation with the current federal and manufacturer incentives. Most people that really want an EV but worry about range or infrastructure, will be all-in on hybrids as long as they are not giving up functionality (ex. towing) and price. I think Ford should still make EV versions of the Explorer and Expedition in limited quantities to push the development forward and concentrate on manufacturing efficiencies and pass those on to us with lower prices. Ford reported second-quarter 2024 revenue of $47.8 billion, net income of $1.8 billion and adjusted EBIT of $2.8 billion. I think they have room to give us some good discounts

 

[RocketJump]

Plus the battery degradation after 5-10 years depending on charge patterns, and the cost of replacement that far exceeds the worth of the vehicle. Plus the immediate totaling of the whole vehicle after a minor accident because of repair cost and risk. Plus the even-more challenging and scarce repair-ability. Plus the impossibility of meeting charging needs if the majority actually drove them, leading to drastic loss of independence. And all this was known and thought out.

 

[HkChuck]

I think a person could right a book about all the issues surrounding the sale and use of EV's that would
weigh heavily against their being sold. I predict that there will be a cottage industry spring up to keep
old ICE vehicles up and running way past the time that would be retired if the government keeps up
its efforts to force people to buy EV's.

 

[skwash]

Our family owns 2 EVs and a 2017 Expy EL. The EVs are great for daily, but I'd still not want to commit to a long road trip in one.

If Ford would do a PHEV version of the Expedition with like 20-30 miles of EV range, that would be huge. Most small daily trips are done with cheap electricity, but still have the convenience of gasoline for longer trips.

Lots of EV misinformation around battery degradation, but honestly I think the biggest miss that EVs have is marketing. EVs are fantastic as a second vehicle, but only if you can easily charge at home. If you have to rely on public charging, then it's not worth it.