According to a report by Bloomberg Businessweek today, Ford and General Motors (GM) have recently cut the production of electric vehicles. Slowing demand, high prices, and software and hardware failures have all affected With the pace of electric vehicles, consumers are also concerned about the uneven charging infrastructure in the United States.
Ford has responded by shifting production from large electric vehicles to smaller, lower-cost electric vehicles and delaying plans for its three-row electric SUV. Currently, Ford is focusing on developing compact electric vehicles and has established a dedicated team in Irvine, California.
The report quoted people familiar with the matter as saying that the team includes less than 100 people and is committed to developing a new electric platform to support a variety of vehicles such as compact SUVs and small pickup trucks. The person familiar with the matter said that the first pure electric compact model will be launched at the end of 2026, with a starting price of about US$25,000 (Note: currently about 180,000 RMB), which will be consistent with the low-cost electric vehicles being developed by Tesla. The expected selling price is in the same range.
The person said other details: The compact new car will be powered by lithium iron phosphate batteries, which are about 30% cheaper than traditional lithium-ion batteries. At the same time, Ford is still exploring other battery technologies to further reduce costs.
According to previous report in February this year, Ford stated at its fourth quarter 2023 earnings call that it was rethinking its electrification strategy and would develop small electric vehicles based on a new low-cost platform. The move comes against the backdrop of Ford’s electric vehicle unit Model e losing nearly $4.7 billion in 2023 (currently about 33.84 billion RMB), exceeding previous expectations of $3 billion.
