Ford CEO Jim Farley posts an insightful ode to electric vehicles as a ‘lifelong petrol head’
Ford Motor Company CEO Jim Farley recently posted an opinion piece to social media, sharing a fresh and inspiring perspective about his newfound love for electric vehicles. As a self-described “lifelong petrol head,” Farley definitely found his niche by heading one of the world’s most prominent automakers. Given his foresight into the future of electrification, it’s easy to see why he’s CEO, and better still, he has the data to back his statements up.
Jim Farley said he always wanted to be a “car guy.”
With time spent at Toyota and Lexus before joining Ford in 2007, Farley has definitely engrained himself in the car world. During his tenure at Ford Motor Company, he has risen through the ranks as a senior member of the executive team before being named the company CEO in 2020.
Long before Farley took over, the automotive industry had begun to shift toward electric vehicles that are more powerful, quieter, and, most importantly, cleaner in emissions. In a recent post, Farley said, “The rumble of a V-8 feels like the soundtrack of my life,” and that he still spends many weekends “wrenching” on his 1973 Ford Bronco.
The head of Ford clearly has a passion for combustion vehicles, which he spent most of his career developing, but Farley has admitted to a newfound love of electric vehicles and explains why. Furthermore, he does an excellent job of addressing common misconceptions about EVs as well as his predictions for the future of the industry.
Ford CEO: EVs will be the next great shift in mobility
We highly recommend reading the opinion piece in its entirety recently posted to LinkedIn by Ford CEO Jim Farley. It’s a five-minute read that is well thought out and relatable, and Farley comes off as informed, honest, and approachable, even as the head of a major automaker.
The piece is also full of strong arguments that make pro-EV advocates like us throw our hands up and say, “Preach!” This first part sounds partially like an ad for the F-150 Lightning, but Farley does share some insight on how he fell in love with EVs:
As a lifelong petrol head, I was surprised as anyone when I fell in love with electric vehicles.
It wasn’t government policies or political beliefs that sparked this late-career romance with electric vehicles. It’s because I drive one – my Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum. It is astonishingly quiet and smooth. The effortless acceleration leaves you with a silly grin once you get the feeling back in your face. Every morning, mine is topped up with 300 miles of range. No gas stations, ever…
… It’s that simple. For me, and for millions of Americans, electric vehicles are removing daily hassles and reminding us why we love to drive. If you want to have a blast behind the wheel, take a Mustang Mach-E Rally out on a dirt road.
Next, the Ford CEO addresses some misconceptions about EVs and compares the nascent technology to other paradigm shifts in our world of industry, such as mobile phones and computers, and even recalls a time when the internet was just a fad. Per Farley:
It takes time for innovations to take hold. But when they do, the shift is profound and lasting.
I believe the next great shift for vehicles will be toward software-defined and electric vehicles.
After that, Farley addresses a key issue (and misconception) among consumers who are considering going electric: how much range they need. Per the post, Ford’s research shows that approximately 50% of Americans only take trips over 150 miles four days or less per year.
Farley also stated that 80% of EV owners charge at home and acknowledges that public charging networks in North America are continuing to grow. Ford’s CEO mentions a road trip across the US he took in an F-150 Lightning last year but left out the part about how shocked he was that it was so difficult to find reliable chargers. Still, Farley appears optimistic about those networks:
Charging access and speed will keep getting better, just as cellular networks went from staticky and constantly dropping to clear and reliable.
Farley also shared that close to 70% of global EV owners say they are sticking to electric vehicles only in the future. With the US recently imposing higher tariffs on Chinese-made EVs and Europe and possibly Canada following suit, Ford’s CEO took an opportunity to stress the importance of supporting American automakers and to trust that the 121-year-old automaker knows what it’s doing. Per Farley’s post:
Here’s the other thing. We are in a global race to compete in a future where electric propulsion will undoubtedly be a giant force in transportation. America cannot cede innovation leadership to China, Europe, or any other region. Ford has survived and thrived for 121 years because we have never been shy about seizing the moment to innovate and face the future. Now, we are investing billions in plants, tech centers, and our workforce to create the must-have cars, SUVs, and trucks of tomorrow.
It’s true that we are losing money on electric vehicles in the first innings of this transition, largely due to the upfront investment costs. But that too is changing. After all, what major technological leap forward wasn’t challenging and costly at the early stages?
The tipping point we’re working toward will come not from regulators who push us or from politicians who try to hold us back. It will come from consumers. Not when an arbitrary market share is reached, but when electric vehicles are simply better for more customers – better to drive, cheaper to own, and easier to integrate into daily life. This is the reality for millions already.
Well said, Jim; welcome to the pack, from one EV lover to another.
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With the launch of the first-ever Class 8 vocational EV in the North American market, PACCAR Kenworth is raising the battery-electric bar and underscoring just how far the market has come since the Tesla Semi made its debut nearly a decade ago.
When Tesla pulled the wraps off its all electric Semi truck all the way back in November of 2017, the rest of the industry was hardly thinking about BEVs. Nearly a decade later, the world is still waiting for the Semi to begin regular production, and PACCAR is launching its second generation of HDEVs with the debut of this, the all-new Kenworth T880E vocational truck.
“The Kenworth T880E marks a groundbreaking milestone in Kenworth’s history as we bring to market the first Class 8 battery-electric solution built for vocational applications,” explains Kevin Haygood, Kenworth assistant general manager for sales and marketing. “The T880E is engineered to meet the evolving needs of operators and vocational fleets while still providing the durability, reliability and customization our customers expect.”
The new electric K-whopper is motivated by PACCAR’s in-house ePowertrain platform, capable of putting up to 605 hp and 1,850 lb-ft of peak torque to work, while delivering the same levels of drivability and dependability fleets expect from a Kenworth – but power and torque are only part of the T880E’s work-ready résumé.
Open to work
In addition to a stout, Class 8 electric chassis fitted with heavy-duty Kenworth brakes and axles, the T880E’s central drive eMotor allows for significant wheelbase flexibility so fleet buyers can spec out exactly the machine they need to get the job done. The T880E was also designed to enable lift axle installations from trusted Kenworth upfitters for a vocational-friendly BEV integration.
Additionally, the T880E features a wide selection of factory-installed options that include both high- and low-voltage ePTO (electric Power Take Off) ports, mechanical ePTOs, and the same wide array of body configurations as the ICE version.
Speaking of the ICE version, the electric T880E also can also be had in the same set-back front axle and set-forward front axle configurations with the same multi-piece hood construction. Inside the cab, the latest in driver-focused technology includes the Kenworth SmartWheel and a new 15″ DriverConnect digital touchscreen. Dash and vocational features like RAM Mounts and factory-installed PTO switches are available. The T880E is also offered with Kenworth ADAS packages for customers interested in DigitalVision Mirrors, Bendix Fusion, and Lane Keeping Assist.
It’s so big, you guys
The T880E was on static display at last week’s ACT Expo in Anaheim, California. Check with your local Kenworth dealer for availability.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Kenworth.
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The tire-blistering SU7 Ultra has been the Xiaomi brand’s flagship super sedan since its launch, but a controversial software setting has limited the car to “just” 900 hp in regular driving – resulting in an outcry from owners who ponied up for the big boy numbers. With its latest software update, that missing 648 hp is back on tap!
The SU7 Ultra made waves throughout the performance car world when a bright yellow striped example lined up alongside a white quarter mile king, the 1,000+ hp Tesla Model S Plaid, and promptly smoked it.
That wasn’t all. A preproduction SU7 Ultra prototype lapped the legendary Nürburgring circuit in just 6 minutes and 46.874 seconds, firmly stamping the 1,500+ hp Xiaomi’s alphanumeric into the track’s record books with a time nearly fifteen seconds quicker than a Rimac Nevera or, on the ICE front, either a Corvette ZR1, Viper ACR, or Porsche 918 (take your pick).
It’s hardly any wonder, then, that the customers who signed up – in droves, too – were disappointed to learn that the SU7 they were allowed to buy had been neutered by the safety nannies to the tune of nearly 650 hp. (!)
We’re so back
The outrage from SU7 Ultra owners was immediate. And, facing mounting pressure online and on social media, Xiaomi ultimately decided to withdraw the performance-limiting features while acknowledging the need for more transparent communication about future software updates they messed up, saying in a statement, “we appreciate the passionate feedback from our community and will ensure better transparency moving forward.”
So, rich people can rocket themselves down the road in 9 second hypercars again and all is right with the world. A happy ending – but one that sort of illuminates a fresh set challenges for automakers peddling “software-defined vehicles” to a market that still thinks of their cars as very much hardware defined products.
That’s evidenced by the resistance to pay for features by subscription and complaints by more informed customers that “software locked” range and convenience features just subsidize the cost of more expensive trim levels and pad profits for manufacturers and suppliers.
The new reality is playing out in real time now, and the Jeff Bezos-backed $20,000 electric compact pickup from Slate Auto is going the other way entirely – time will tell whether more, or less tech is the answer.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Xiaomi, via CarNewsChina.
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Tesla (TSLA) has started offering reduced interest rates on the new Model Y in the US — this equates to a direct discount on the brand new vehicle that was supposed to spark Tesla’s demand back.
The automaker has announced “1.99% APR or $0 Due at Signing available for well-qualified buyers” on the new Model Y in the US for the first time:
This amounts to a direct discount worth a few thousand dollars. It is the first widely available discount on the new Model Y coming just weeks after the cheaper non-Launch Edition launched in the US.
It follows a $2,000 direct discount that Tesla offered to early Model Y owners last week.
These discounts and subsidized financing point to soft demand for the updated best-selling vehicle in the US. Tesla just delivered a disastrous first quarter, which it mostly blamed on the Model Y changeover, resulting in lower inventory.
However, industry watchers, including Electrek, noted many signs that the Model Y changeover was not the only issue. Tesla added significantly to its inventory in the first quarter, and the wait times for the new Model Y were extremely short.
Now, the discount weeks after launching the new Model Y confirm the soft demand in the US.
It’s not as bad as Europe and China, where Tesla has already been offering 0% financing on the new Model Y for weeks.
Electrek’s Take
I think it’s clear by now: the new Model Y is not coming to save Tesla.
Let’s be honest: It will still be a significant vehicle program by volume. It just won’t help Tesla return to growth this year.
The RWD Model Y is still coming and has a chance to help in the US. It is already available in China, and it’s not helping Tesla much there, but that’s in a hyper-competitive market, especially at lower prices where the RWD Model Y operates.
Tesla’s performance in Q2 in China will be interesting since it is basically back to its regular lineup for the whole quarter.
The US appears to have been Tesla’s least affected market, but Q3 will be the real test with the full lineup and no backlog of demand for new Model Y.
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