During a Demonstration at the Deutsche Bank Global Automotive Conference at the MGM Grand in Detroit, Jim Farley, Ford’s president of global markets, made a blockbuster Statement. After over 40 years on the market, and amidst the impending arrival of vehicles like the Tesla pickup truck along with the quad-motor Rivian R1T, the most cherished Ford F-150 is moving electric.
“We& & rsquo;re going to be electrifying the F-Series — battery electric and hybridvehicle, ”” Farley said.
The Ford executive afterwards said that the company’s decision to transfer the F-Series franchise to all-electric and hybrid power is a way for the automaker to “future-proof” its successful and rewarding vehicles. Farley dubbed the F-Series franchise as a “worldwide juggernaut,” a statement that conveys no exaggeration considering the F-150 has been among America’s bestselling pickup trucks for years.
Needless to sayFord’s announcement surprised some of Detroit’s pros. Even the F-150, after all, is pretty much exactly the quintessential symbol of fossil fuel-powered workhorse. John McElroy, a longtime car industry analyst as well as the host of Autoline This Week, said to this Detroit Free Press that Ford’s announcement represents an apparent shift in the legacy carmaker’s strategies.
“When he states ‘battery electric,’ exactly what I’m taking it to mean is a battery electric vehicle. Real electric. They’ve said they would have a hybrid version of the F-150. But this is different than what they’ve talked about in the past,” McElroy said.
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The Autoline host added that an electric F-150 provides some security for Ford, considering that players at the electric automobile market are starting to take a peek in the segment. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, for one, has openly stated that he’s looking forward to building a pickup truck. Last November, Rivian Automotive took the wraps off its own R1T pickup truck, a refined, production-ready automobile that provides a balance between ruggedness and luxury. For McElroy, the entrance of these vehicles presents a valid threat to Ford’s lucrative company enterprise.
Ford faces stiff competition against automakers like Rivian since it looks to adapt its 100-year old company to a business that’s changing toward electric mobility
“Tesla is speaking about coming out with an electric pickup. And find out what Tesla has completed at the luxury segment. They’ve clobbered nearly everybody. It is possible to ’t pooh-pooh that individuals won’t be interested in an electric pickup. Rivian Automotive is coming out with an all-electric pickup. These are the crown jewels for Ford Motor Co., the F-Series. Ford has got to respond to competitive threats,” the Autoline host stated.
Taking a look at the specs of this competition, McElroy’s statement does ring true. Even the Rivian R1T, for one, is a powerhouse, equipped with four electric motors along with a 180 kWh battery pack that provides over 400 miles of range per charge. Thanks to its all-electric layout, the R1T is still a winner of utility too, with numerous storage spaces that competitors would be challenged to fit.
Tesla, on the other hand, hasn’t disclosed any official details regarding its pickup truck, though Elon Musk has stated that the automobile would be so loaded with technology, it wouldn’t be out of place in the Blade Runner franchise. Musk has additionally resisted some attributes for Tesla’s pickup truck, for example four-wheel steering and also the capacity to tow up to 300,000 lbs .
Having said that, credit has to be given to Ford for viewing the writing on the walls. The auto business is transitioning from fossil fuel-powered transportation. Headed by vehicles like the Tesla Model 3, electric cars are starting to become mainstream. If Ford wants to thrive in this transition, even offering an electric version of its successful vehicle definitely appears to be the proper strategy.
With this update from Ford, it is not too difficult to imagine Tesla CEO Elon Musk feeling some kind of gratification. Musk, after all, has made it a point to say that Tesla’s purpose is to hasten the entire world ’s transition to renewable energy. In this sense, Ford’s forthcoming all-electric F-150 pickup truck is actually a pretty major step towards Tesla’s overall goal.
The post Ford commits to electric F-150 pickup truck as legacy auto buckles beneath EV strain appeared first on TESLARATI.com.
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