Henry Ford probably wouldn't be happy if he knew that Ford was cutting production of its Lightning EV truck production. This only gives Tesla a bigger lead in EV trucks.
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Henry Ford Is Rolling In His Grave With F150 Lightning EV Production Cuts
It was recently announced that Ford, with reasons cited being lower EV demand, is cutting back production of its F150 Lightning EV vehicle. This isn't the first time Ford has done this, and all it is doing is giving Tesla a chance to take the lead in EV trucks - Tesla has over 2 million preorders for its Cybertruck.
Ford is deferring billions of dollars in EV production, it says, however, the question is when they will bring this back. Ford can't make its trucks at the right price to meet market demands. This is why Tesla cuts prices - to make its cars more affordable.
It seems that the legacy automakers in the U.S., which consist of Ford and GM primarily, are scaling back EV production. It's a difficult production ramp for these companies as their primary "bread and butter" are not EVs, but instead, gas cars.
In order for these two companies to ramp up EVs, they are going to have to get them produced at scale - in the many hundreds of thousands - however, to do that would mean that they are taking away from their primary gas car business. It's a catch 22.
Henry Ford, founder of Ford, would be rolling in his grave if he saw what was going on with Ford right now. The future is clearly electric, so the big question with cutting back EV production is - when is the right time to start producing EVs? The answer, for legacy auto companies, is likely never.
There will never be a convenient time for these companies to start ramping and producing EVs at volume - even though the time they need to do it is right now and yesterday.
It's the same with starting a proper, healthy diet or exercise program. The best time to start it is now and not at some point in the future.
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The Coming Years Will Punish Automakers Who Didn't Adapt to EVs
EVs are growing, but they still haven't reached the point that they are widespread and half the market and vehicles on the road. Therefore, it doesn't seem like there's any pressing need to build EVs.
But, the trend is very clear - EVs are a growing - and fast-growing segment of the automobiles in the world. In fact, the U.S., even with Tesla as the flagship company for EVs, is growing fast, but much slower than Norway or China, for example.
Eventually, China is going to be all EV, and this will take sales away from any foreign automakers that want to sell gas cars or hybrids in China.
I don't think Henry Ford would agree with the decision for Ford to cut its EV production of the F150 lightning. I think he would be looking to find a way to get Ford into an all EV state as quickly and as profitably as possible.
Unfortunately for Ford, it may be too late when they do finally decide to ramp up EV production. Like a health condition that was ignored for a very long time, it could prove disastrous for Ford.
Even more ironically, as reported by evinfo, is that in the early 1900s, EVs were being made and were about 1/3 of all vehicles on the road. However, the Ford Model T, mass-produced, killed the EV then.
The price tag of gas cars - particularly the Model T - just became too attractive to warrant having an EV. It wasn't the right time for EVs then, however, with battery costs going down rapidly, now is the right time.
Pickup trucks are important for widespread EV adoption. The U.S. is the primary market for big pickup trucks, and the Rivian R1T and the Tesla Cybertruck are doing a nice job leading this transition.
Ford delivered around 20,000 F150 lightning EV trucks in 2023, which is a decent number. However, cutting this back won't help Ford reach a mass market with an EV truck.
Let's hope that Ford can turn it around now because when it comes to years down the road, it's going to be too late.
In Other Tesla News: Getting Launched In An Original Tesla Roadster - The Moment That Changed Everything For Me About Tesla
What do you think about Ford cutting F150 EV Lighting production? Is this a smart decision?
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Hi! I'm Jeremy Noel Johnson, and I am a Tesla investor and supporter and own a 2022 Model 3 RWD EV and I don't have range anxiety :). I enjoy bringing you breaking Tesla news as well as anything about Tesla or other EV companies I can find, like Aptera. Other interests of mine are AI, Tesla Energy and the Tesla Bot! You can follow me on X.COM or LinkedIn or watch short Tesla videos on TikTok to stay in touch and follow my Tesla and EV news coverage.
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