26 Apr 2022 | Ford Beings Production of F-150 Lightning

Episode 1447,   Apr 26, 2022, 11:05 AM

On the podcast today:
• Ford Has Made 2,000 Electric F-150 Lightning Trucks
• Ford CEO says automaker plans to challenge Tesla as global EV leader
• Ford Has the Perfect EV Car to Conquer The Middle Class
• VW to release an electric Amarok pickup
• Used Tesla prices are out of control
• VinFast VF8 Prototype First Drive: Half A World And Months Away
• NIO's semi-solid-state battery supplier WeLion signs deal for 30,000 tons of cathode material
• Honda launches electric vehicle developed in China
• Volta Trucks reveals full-electric 7.5- and 12-tonne Volta Zero variants
• KwikFit opens first e-mobility workshop, includes e-bikes
• One in five UK car sales now of battery-electric vehicles

Show #1447

Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily, you trusted source of EV information. It’s Tuesday 26th April, it’s Martyn Lee here and I go through every EV story so you don't have to.

Jim Farley on Twitter: "Happening now! #F150Lightning trucks are officially rolling off the line here at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan 🇺🇸⚡️🛻 https://t.co/Qw62mJJG51" / Twitter


FORD HAS MADE 2,000 ELECTRIC F-150 LIGHTNING TRUCKS

- Ford Motor said on Tuesday that it had produced about 2,000 electric F-150 pickup trucks and planned to begin delivering them to customers in the next week.

- The automaker said it was fine-tuning software in the trucks before releasing them to dealers, the company’s chief executive, Jim Farley, said at a kickoff event at the factory where the truck is made in Dearborn, a Detroit suburb.

- Mr. Farley and other executives have described the truck, the Lightning, as the most important model Ford has introduced in decades.

- The first trucks produced are aimed at commercial customers and have a starting price of just under $40,000, Mr. Farley said.

- Ford has said it has taken more than 200,000 reservations for F-150 Lightnings.


FORD CEO SAYS AUTOMAKER PLANS TO CHALLENGE TESLA AS GLOBAL EV LEADER

- “We plan to challenge Tesla and all comers to become the top EV maker in the world,” Farley said during a production launch event for the electric F-150 Lightning pickup. “That’s something that no one would have believed just two years ago from us. They’re going to look at this truck and believe it.”

- Farley didn’t attach a time frame to when the company thought it would overtake Tesla. He said that will come down to product execution over the next four years, adding that Ford has “every intention” of being the top electric pickup maker in the world.

- Tesla does have quite a head start, though. Farley said Ford plans to have the capability of producing 600,000 EVs by 2023, including 150,000 F-150 Lightnings and 200,000 Ford Mach-E crossovers. Tesla, by comparison, delivered more than 930,000 EVs last year.


FORD HAS THE PERFECT EV CAR TO CONQUER THE MIDDLE CLASS

- Ford may hold the key to enticing middle-income households and self-employed artisans and professionals to take the EV plunge.

- That's because the F-150 for 40 years has been the bestselling vehicle in the U.S. Given that popularity, many experts say that the performance of the electric F-150 could be a barometer of the general public's perception of EVs. If Ford's bet succeeds, the entire auto industry stands to benefit, these industry experts say.

- But Ford did everything not to alienate fans of the F-150. Technology has not fully taken over. The F-150 Lightning, for example, is traditionally designed, unlike Tesla's futuristic Cybertruck and does not present itself as a connected vehicle like Rivian's R1T. It's neither a doorstop nor a spaceship.

- But above all there is the price. The base price starts at around $39,970 before any government tax credits. Ford kept the price affordable because truck owners and particularly fleet buyers are unwilling to spend a fortune on a functional vehicle. (Even the $92,669 Platinum model undercuts the base price of a GMC Hummer electric pickup.)


VW TO RELEASE AN ELECTRIC AMAROK PICKUP

- VW Commercial Vehicles is also planning a purely electric version for the next generation of the Amarok pickup. The new Amarok is being developed in cooperation with Ford and will be a Ford Ranger with its own unique drive system.

- both Ford and VW Commercial Vehicles are planning an electric version of the pickup, as VWN board member for sales Lars Krause indicated. After VWN had already cooperated with Ford in the past, the current Amarok is an in-house development of the manufacturer based in Hanover

- the upcoming model, including the electric version, will be built by Ford in South Africa. This is also where a large part of the development of the two pickups took place. In the meantime, prototypes are probably also on the road in Germany to incorporate “final findings” – in other words, to adapt the vehicles not only to South African roads but also to the German autobahn.


USED TESLA PRICES ARE OUT OF CONTROL

- Prices of used Tesla vehicles are out of control, as some used vehicles with over 30,000 miles on the odometer are selling for higher prices than new ones.

- For example, this 2020 Model Y with over 30,000 miles on the odomoter is listed for $1,000 more than if you were to order the same configuration brand new:

- What is most impressive is how the vehicle gain in value. Depending on when it was purchased in 2020, the vehicle is likely selling between $6,000 and $10,000 more than what it was purchased for brand new about two years ago.

- We saw several other used Model Ys listed for more than an equivalent brand new Model Y, like this 2021 Model Y with 15,000 miles in Illinois listed for over $80,000:

- One interesting thing to note is that Tesla appears to be adding the Full Self-Driving package to all used vehicles it is reselling, which is helping to push prices higher.


VINFAST VF8 PROTOTYPE FIRST DRIVE: HALF A WORLD AND MONTHS AWAY

NIO'S SEMI-SOLID-STATE BATTERY SUPPLIER WELION SIGNS DEAL FOR 30,000 TONS OF CATHODE MATERIAL

HONDA LAUNCHES ELECTRIC VEHICLE DEVELOPED IN CHINA

VOLTA TRUCKS REVEALS FULL-ELECTRIC 7.5- AND 12-TONNE VOLTA ZERO VARIANTS

KWIKFIT OPENS FIRST E-MOBILITY WORKSHOP, INCLUDES E-BIKE 

ONE IN FIVE UK CAR SALES NOW OF BATTERY-ELECTRIC VEHICLES


QUESTION OF THE WEEK WITH EMOBILITYNORWAY.COM

What cables should or shouldn’t  come with a new or used EV?

Email me any feedback to: hello@evnewsdaily.com

It would mean a lot if you could take 2mins to leave a quick review on whichever platform you download the podcast.

And  if you have an Amazon Echo, download our Alexa Skill, search for EV News Daily and add it as a flash briefing.

Come and say hi on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter just search EV News Daily, have a wonderful day, I’ll catch you tomorrow and remember…there’s no such thing as a self-charging hybrid.

PREMIUM PARTNERS
PHIL ROBERTS / ELECTRIC FUTURE
BRAD CROSBY
PORSCHE OF THE VILLAGE CINCINNATI
AUDI CINCINNATI EAST
VOLVO CARS CINCINNATI EAST
NATIONAL CAR CHARGING ON THE US MAINLAND AND ALOHA CHARGE IN HAWAII
DEREK REILLY FROM THE EV REVIEW IRELAND YOUTUBE CHANNEL
RICHARD AT RSEV.CO.UK – FOR BUYING AND SELLING EVS IN THE UK
OCTOPUS ELECTRIC JUICE - MAKING PUBLIC CHARGING SIMPLE WITH ONE CARD, ONE MAP AND ONE APP