Ford

Ford received its EPA ratings for more versions of its upcoming F-150 Lightning electric pickup. The Extended Range versions with the bigger battery pack are getting a better-than-expected 320-mile EPA range.

The base version of the Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup, which starts at $40,000, has received an official EPA rating with an estimated range of 230 miles and 68 MPGe.

American automaker Ford Motor Company, has outlined plans to expedite its push for EVs in Europe, promising nine all-electric models by 2024, seven of which are new to a lineup that already includes the Mustang Mach-E followed by the E-Transit next quarter. Vehicles from commercial unit Ford Pro, and the recently announced Ford e, combine to further expand Ford EV adoption in Europe.

Ford and VW announced that they are expanding their electrification partnership, and the former is going to release a second electric car based on VW’s MEB platform.

Ford Motor Company and University of Michigan researchers explored what light-duty vehicle electrification means for the decarbonization of the transportation industry in a study that was published online on March 1 in the journal Environmental Research Letters.

Ahead of deliveries this spring, Ford Motor Company has shared footage of its highly anticipated F-150 Lightning enduring winter testing through snow and ice. The trove of footage was gathered over two weeks in Alaska, where Ford engineers fine tuned the all-electric pickup in -30℉ temperatures.

Ford announced today that it is separating its electric vehicle and internal combustion businesses into two different units, as the automaker is trying to navigate a future that is undeniably electric while dragging a large internal combustion engine business with it.

Ford has launched its new Ford Charge Station Pro, a bi-directional home charging station that works with the upcoming F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck.

It is offered at a surprisingly good price, considering it enables backup power and can basically replace a generator or Tesla Powerwall.

Ford’s Chief Executive Officer, Jim Farley, recently spoke during a virtual auto tech conference held by Wolfe Research, in which he spoke about Ford’s plans for the future. During the webcast, the Ford CEO specifically named Tesla and NIO as its biggest competitors, vowing to beat them. He also denied previously reported rumors about Ford’s plans for spinoffs to increase value.

Ford Motor Co. shared it is considering the possibility of manufacturing EVs in India, just months after a halt to all sales and manufacturing in the Asian country. In addition to exploring EV manufacturing in India, Ford is also open to the idea of reopening its sales books in India for EVs only.

Tesla has lost its executive in charge of new vehicle programs who has been in charge of several important engineering programs, and now, he is going to work on Ford’s electric vehicles.

Ford has been known to cherry pick the best features of other electric vehicles and make them their own. If a tidbit we’ve found in the Ford App comes to fruition, the F-150 Lightning will soon be able to park itself via remote control using phone apps.

Ford CEO Jim Farley made an interesting comment that highlighted just how the perception of Tesla has massively shifted in the automotive industry over the last few years.

Ford CEO Jim Farley says that the company is addressing the situation where dealers are charging ‘unreasonable’ markups on the F-150 Lightning electric pickup and other vehicles.

As Ford Motor Co. approaches first deliveries of its all electric F-150 Lightning this spring, it has shared new details regarding how future owners will soon be able to power their homes using the truck as a backup generator. Through a new partnership with Sunrun, F-150 Lightning customers will soon have a number of energy management solutions at their disposal through Ford or existing equipment.

Ford has developed a spy-themed concept game that allows Mustang Mach-E owners to turn their EVs into an “escape room” – or escape car, rather. The interactive game functions through the Mach-E’s center touchscreen, using functions within the EV to guide the driver and its passenger(s) on a secret mission to deliver a package.

• Ford’s versatile E-Transit 126-mile electric sprinter/cargo/van platform began production from its Kansas City, Missouri plant. Deliveries begin in a few weeks. I drove it, but drive impressions have to wait.
• Ford is super high on its own supply of Telematics software but equally high on its new Salesforce partnership for software and services.
• I came to California to drive a Ford F-150 Lightning and I got two awesome days in Sonoma meeting Francis Ford Coppola, chatting with some great Ford engineers/execs, drinking some amazing wine, and driving an electric sprinter van (not in that order).

We learned a lot this week as Ford flew us out to Sonoma, CA, and took us to some winery businesses that would soon be using not only electric Ford Pro vehicles but would also be using its telematics software stack to manage everything about them.

Japanese automaker Honda Motor Co. recently stated it is still undecided on where to manufacture EVs in the United States, questioning the country’s demand despite soaring sales numbers from competitors miles ahead in their own electrified transitions.

Ford (NYSE: F) stock continued its upward climb today, reaching a 20-year high and a $100 billion market cap on big hopes for the all-electric F-150 Lightning and plans to lead the industry in battery production capacity by 2025.

Here we sit on the precipice of 2022, which is hopefully a shiny new start and not “2020 II.” One of the more optimistic outlooks we can share in the new year is the prospect of further EV adoption, led by an absolute slew of new EV models from all of the major names in vehicles. Below are some of the most anticipated electric vehicles scheduled to arrive in 2022, along with a little blurb about each so you can start planning which ones you want to test drive first.

Ford issued a warning to dealerships that are taking advantage of F150 Lightning reservation holders and asking for more money.

But it looks like it might not be able to prevent markups.