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from the It's-electric.-Boogie-woogie-woogie! dept.
Ford Motor Co. confirmed plans to build a fully electric F-Series pickup, which industry observers called an unexpected move that protects the truck franchise against Tesla and other competitors.
“We’re going to be electrifying the F-Series — battery electric and hybrid,” Jim Farley, Ford president of global markets, said Wednesday during a presentation at the Deutsche Bank Global Automotive Conference in the MGM Grand in Detroit.
In framing the company’s redesign, Farley said a move toward all-electric and hybrid would “futureproof” the billion-dollar F-Series franchise, which he called a “global juggernaut.”
[...] Creating an alternative to the combustion engine is crucial if Ford plans to protect its pickup franchise.
“Tesla is talking about coming out with an electric pickup. And look what Tesla has done in the luxury segment. They’ve clobbered just about everybody,” McElroy said. “You can’t pooh-pooh that people 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 react to competitive threats.”
Ford recently announced it would exit the market for cars to focus on its pickups. This announcement is another sign of the shockwaves Tesla has sent throughout the automotive industry.
[Ford is likely also keeping a watchful eye on Workhorse. --Ed.]
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Friday January 18 2019, @01:28AM (1 child)
If you want electric/hybrid vehicles to succeed, you need good marketing. And that marketing should be directed towards demographics other than venture capitalists, San Francisco programmers, hipsters, all other hollow virtual-signalers and upper middle-class bandwagoners, fags, and generally people who experience no labor or danger in driving whatsoever. If you want your electric or hybrid vehicle to succeed, you want to see at least one per day on the road that doesn't have Hillary 2016 or Apple stickers on it.
The problem with electric vehicles and hybrids is that they are still markers of privilege rather than utility. Put data and parts out there so that average Joe Shit the Ragman can buy the parts and fix it himself, and you're off to a good start.
(Score: 5, Informative) by Immerman on Friday January 18 2019, @02:38AM
Agreed - except that the wealthy and upper-middle class are actually a really good introductory target market for a product. It's a lot harder to convince someone to buy unproven technology that doesn't yet benefit from mass production when they can't afford it. In fact, big ticket impulse buys/virtue signalling, is probably one of the biggest contributions most wealthy people make to society. Building a customer base large enough to get economies of scale to start kicking in so that the prices can fall to the point that the rest of us can afford it.