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posted by martyb on Thursday January 17 2019, @11:34PM   Printer-friendly
from the It's-electric.-Boogie-woogie-woogie! dept.

Detroit Free Press:

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.]


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  • (Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Friday January 18 2019, @01:32AM (1 child)

    by Ethanol-fueled (2792) on Friday January 18 2019, @01:32AM (#788105) Homepage

    " limited electric crap that would distract their employees "

    Now this is true, and why Fords are the girliest trucks of all the American brands. Their dash info is simple and isn't trying to be a 747 cockpit.

    " and repair-ability that won't require a stealership.

    False. "American" brands all have access to cheaper and more quickly available parts, and simplicity isn't always a bad thing when you gotta fix it. Nobody wants to drop the engine just to be able to replace spark plugs.

  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by toddestan on Friday January 18 2019, @03:42AM

    by toddestan (4982) on Friday January 18 2019, @03:42AM (#788133)

    Actually I wouldn't mind a dash like a 747 cockpit. The cockpit of a 747 is all business, it's just that you've got a lot controls, dials, gauges, displays, etc. to operate a 747.

    What I don't want is some cheesy dashboard that looks like a 1990's Aiwa mini-system or a 1337 gamerz laptop, but sadly that seems to be the in thing now.