FORD to follow TOYOTA

[aerohead]

On the news last night they said that FoMoCo is backing away from EV production, and will spend a few billion to get into hybrids, while continuing to manufacture EVs, but at reduced capacity.

[oil pan 4]

Yeah they're learning that they can't trick or push everyone into buying an EV.

[CigaR007]

BEV have their applications and it makes sense to scale back production given their limitations. PHEV are more polyvalent IMO.

[Piotrsko]

Think it's simpler than that: they aren't selling, even their trucks at levels Ford thought should occur. Ford seems to finally figured out that making thousands that sell for reduced prices reduces overall profit

[CapriRacer]

I think many of the car companies completely misread the trend. I suspect they read the surveys that said "EV's are the future" and totally missed that the people being surveyed didn't include the guys who weren't swayed by the latest trends.

Then the harsh reality of the limited range of EV's hit and the "trendsetters" changed their minds, as "trendsetters" are apt to do.

I suspect this kind of thing will happen again! This lesson seems hard to learn!

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by CigaR007

BEV have their applications and it makes sense to scale back production given their limitations.

That's what I often say, BEVs are not really suitable for everyone. And just like so many people don't own a garage to store their cars while not in use, not even an open space in their backyards where they could pull a cord to recharge the battery of an EV at home, the fast-charging stations are no longer so cheaper to use than pumping some conventional fuel

PHEV are more polyvalent IMO.

Even if someone would buy a PHEV only because of a lower taxation, and won't make use of the plug-in capability at all, it's still not so pointless as being forced to buy a BEV and having to search fast-charging stations more frequently than would go to a gas station with a conventional car.

[redpoint5]

Fun to have taken a contrarian opinion to the EV hype for years and have it vindicated by the decisions of manufacturers.

On EV forums I see so many threads related to Toyota being “so far behind” that it’s “impossible to catch up”, and that the company will vanish in 5 years. My comments are always something along the lines of “The #1 top selling automotive manufacturer needs to catch up?” or, “you randos on the internet are better decision makers than the experts working for Toyota?”

Anyhow, the smart people have been saying for a decade that hybrids are a better use of resources, more versatile, and will conserve more fuel than a focus on BEV. The Pharisees of the Green religion place more value on adhering strictly to ideology over actually doing things better.

[freebeard]

Anyhow, the smart people have been saying for a decade that hybrids are a better use of resources, more versatile, and will conserve more fuel than a focus on BEV.

So where is the hybrid equivalent to the Aptera or Arcimoto FUV?

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by freebeard

So where is the hybrid equivalent to the Aptera or Arcimoto FUV?

Those aren't vehicles, they are science experiments. Vehicles that make any measurable difference in national fuel economy sell in the hundreds of thousands.

[freebeard]

[Looking at your avatar]

Even wheels good, odd wheels bad?