Thank you to Omaze for sponsoring Electrek this week
A Classic Electric Ford Bronco powered by Tesla batteries and apparently worth $300,000 is going to go to a lucky winner as part of a new sweepstakes.
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Two years ago, Ford outlined its plans for 40 so-called electrified vehicles in its global lineup by 2022. The company said 16 would be purely electric, and the rest would be plug-in hybrids – with a focus on its most iconic, mainstream vehicles. News is starting to trickle out about the plug-in hybrid version of the ultra-iconic F-150 pickup, with Car and Driver reporting that it will only offer around 10 miles of all-electric range.
After March auto sales tanked due to the pandemic, Ford today became the first automaker to propose a government stimulus program for the auto industry. One approach would be a “Cash For Clunkers” program based on the 2009 stimulus measure.
In October, Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) proposed the very same thing: a plan to help vehicle sales by granting consumers as much as $5,000 to trade in a fuel-thirsty gas car for a low- or zero-emissions vehicle.
When automakers tout big plans for electric vehicles, the key question is: How many will you produce and when? Specific numbers are seldom provided. But Reuters reports today that the total combined output in North America from General Motors and Ford in 2026 will be 320,000 electric vehicles. That’s based on internal planning information provided to suppliers by the automakers and obtained by AutoForecast, a sales planning analysis firm.
There is a ripple effect from Ford establishing its EV headquarters in Detroit’s Corktown, and GM dedicating its Detroit-Hamtramck plant for electric vehicles. America’s troubled automotive capital is taking on new importance as a center for EV engineering. That’s paying off in unexpected ways.
Ford’s electrification strategy to meet European CO2 standards is mostly about hybrids. The list includes a plug-in hybrid Kuga crossover, conventional hybrid sedans, and mild hybrids for popular small cars, like the Fiesta, Focus, and Puma. But this doesn’t mean Ford doesn’t have EVs in the works.
Several automakers offered today to turn their manufacturing expertise toward helping alleviate medical device shortages as the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to overload hospitals. GM, Tesla, and Ford were among those who offered help in the US.
Ford has released some Mustang Mach-E winter testing footage as it shares some new data about reservations for the electric crossover.
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The Ford F150 Electric 2022 is getting new renders based on some inside info – giving us our best look yet at the upcoming electric pickup truck.
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Ford announced today that it is bringing an electric version of its Transit cargo van to the US in 2022 after announcing an European launch for 2021.
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Ford is still about 10 months away from delivering the first Mustang Mach-E vehicles to US dealerships. Jason Mase, Ford’s electrification marketing strategy lead, told Electrek that the company is now helping dealers get ready with the necessary tools and training.
A Mach-E vehicle will go to 2,100 dealership showrooms for test drives across the US. But Mase expects most of the first-year output to go to reservation-holders, rather than walk-in buyers who will likely join a waiting list.
There were an impressive number of ads about electric cars at the Super Bowl, and yet you could argue that Tesla came out on top without spending a cent on advertising.
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Ford confirmed that it has sold out its Mustang Mach-E First Edition reservations and the automaker revealed some of the most popular options.
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A Ford dealer guide distributed this week revealed the starting price of the 2020 Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrid as $34,235, including destination. Ford says that the Escape Plug-in Hybrid will have “30-plus” miles of all-electric range. The Escape PHEV will compete for customers with the 2020 Toyota RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid, which is more powerful while providing 39 miles of EV range.
The result of a new tug-of-war between the Tesla Model X and Ford F-150 Raptor hints at what would happen in a possible rematch with the Tesla Cybertruck prototype.
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A test of 15 Ford dealerships about their new Mustang Mach E electric car shows that they are not ready to sell the new electric crossover, and they still have a problem with electric vehicle misinformation.
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Electric vehicles with large cabins suck up a lot of energy by running heat and AC. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory believes an EV’s climate control system can reduce the driving range by up to 50%. So Ford engineers in Europe are experimenting with psychological tricks that make passengers feel hotter and colder without actually depleting range.
Ford is planning an all-electric Transit van that will hit the road in 2023, according to an inside source at Ford.
Ford will allocate 60% of their first-year Mustang Mach E production to Europe in order to meet EU fleet emissions regulations, according to an inside source at Ford.
First-year production will be limited to 50,000 due to battery constraints. This means Europe will receive about 30,000 cars in the first year, while the US will receive about 20,000.
Ford revealed the Mustang Mach E to generally positive reception last week, and started taking reservations immediately on their website. We’ve now learned that their “First Edition” model is already sold out.
Ford will leverage their investment in automotive startup Rivian to build an electric SUV for their Lincoln brand, Reuters reports.
The Lincoln will use Rivian’s “skateboard” chassis, which Rivian also plans to use in their R1S SUV.
Ford now says that it is not participating in the Tesla Cybertruck vs. F-150 tug-of-war rematch as it calls the first one “absurd.”
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Ford’s upcoming Mustang Mach E has been seen driving around the streets of Dearborn, Michigan, in uncamouflaged form. This wouldn’t be much for news since the car has already been unveiled, but there’s a difference this time: It’s the first we’ve seen of the right-hand-drive spec car.
The Ford Mustang Mach-E is being well-received by the EV community, but the people who seem to like it the least seem to be Mustang fans who can’t conceive of an all-electric Mustang.
Ford produced a movie about the making of the Mustang Mach-E, which seems to be aimed at selling the idea of an electric Mustang to Mustang owners and fans.
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