Ford Plans Affordable Small Electric Pickup and SUV, Starting Around $25,000

[Think. Again.]

Peter Johnson, Mar 18 2024 - 2:41 pm PT
Full Article: https://electrek.co/2024/03/18/ford-plans-affordable-ev-pickup-suv-starting-25000/

Amid a flood of new competition, Ford is shifting plans to build more affordable electric vehicles. Ford is developing a new low-cost EV platform to power a small electric pickup and SUV, with starting prices around $25,000. However, due to the pivot, plans for its three-row electric SUV have been put on the back burner.

-snip-

Ford put together a “super-talented skunk works team” to create it with “some of the best EV engineers in the world.” The team is led by Alan Clarke, who led the engineering on Tesla’s best-selling Model Y.

-snip-

Sources familiar with the matter say the first model will launch in 2026, with starting prices around $25,000. It will rival the low-cost EV Tesla is working on.

The platform will first feature LFP batteries, which are about 30% cheaper than traditional lithium-ion. However, it’s also exploring other EV battery tech.

-snip-

[3Hotdogs]

1. I'm in.

[marble falls]

2. I hope Alan Clark wasn't behind the underengineered front ends that are failing fairly quickly, ...

... that Tesla claims are the owners' responsibilties:

https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/tesla-musk-steering-suspension/

[Think. Again.]

3. Yeah, it'll be a good thing to have some serious Tesla competition.

[KS Toronado]

4. I'll buy one!

[Think. Again.]

5. Me too, I like small pick-ups and really want to go electric...

...but so far the prices are too much for me.

[KS Toronado]

6. This Country, in fact the World

needs to find a way to bring the cost of EVs down to combat global warming.

[Think. Again.]

7. I agree, I'm afraid we might have to...

...put a damper on the excessive profit margins somehow.

[Kennah]

8. Have to address the transmission issues

Most EVs have CVTs, which are notoriously bad in many vehicles. From what I read, they don't tend to handle torque very well. I suspect that is the reason for the issues with Ford's full-sized Lighting EV pickups.

If results with traditional automatic transmissions aren't working out well, the simple solution would seem to be manual transmissions.

[Think. Again.]

9. Unless I'm mistaken...

...with an electric motor, there isnct any real need to have multiple gears, the motor itself adjusts the speed output by the speed of the motor.

Multiple gears are necessary on combustion engines because the mechanics of the engine itself has limits that need to brought down with each gear (or something like that).

[Kennah]

10. I believe electric motors still have torque and rev limits for purposes of an automobile

Electric bikes have gears--both internal hubs and derailers--because even though there's far less torque involved with a bike, there are limits.

[Think. Again.]

11. Thanks!

I guess the research and development of EVs still has way to go!

I know it took quite a while to get from the Model T to today's advanced designs.