Ford CEO Jim Farley has known as out Tesla CEO Elon Musk over the Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker’s lead in electrical pickup vehicles.
Musk responded. Do we’ve got somewhat pleasant competitors within the electrical pickup market?
Within the auto trade, or any aggressive trade actually, it’s uncommon that CEOs will straight name one another out and even point out the opposite firm with a view to keep away from highlighting the competitors.
After all, it nonetheless occurs each every now and then.
It really occurs considerably incessantly with Tesla because the automaker has constructed such an unbelievable lead on the subject of electrical autos that it’s laborious to not acknowledge it.
Ford CEO Jim Farley has had nice issues to say about Tesla up to now. Final yr, Ford’s CEO praised Tesla in an inside assembly the place he stated “nobody does electrical higher.”
However now he really has an space the place Ford does electrical higher, and that’s electrical pickup vehicles.
Farley commented throughout a press occasion to announce Ford and DTE Power’s deal for the biggest renewable vitality buy in US historical past:
We’re actually on a mission at Ford to steer an electrical and digital revolution for a lot of, not few, And I’ve to say the shining gentle for us at Ford is that this lovely Lightning made proper down the street in Dearborn, proper right here within the state of Michigan, already the chief of all EV pickup vehicles in our trade in america. Take that, Elon Musk.
The remark even prompted a response from Musk on Twitter who stated, “Thanks, however I have already got one” – seemingly referring to the Tesla Cybertruck.
Farley will not be improper. Ford has shortly constructed a lead in electrical pickup vehicles with the F-150 Lightning.
Rivian was really first to market with the R1T electrical pickup, however although Ford began producing about six months later, the automaker was shortly in a position to catch as much as the startup by utilizing its mighty manufacturing functionality.
As for Tesla, Musk might need his personal Cybertruck, but it surely’s a prototype and one in every of only some.
Tesla first unveiled the Cybertruck in 2019 and claimed that it might go into manufacturing in 2020, which might have made Tesla the primary to market with an electrical pickup truck.
Nonetheless, the car program was delayed a number of occasions, and now Tesla plans to carry the Cybertruck to market in 2023.
Electrek’s Take
Farley will not be improper. Whereas Tesla nonetheless dominates the EV market, particularly within the US, Ford actually has the lead on the subject of electrical pickup vehicles.
Nonetheless, he may come to remorse his phrases. You’ll be able to by no means depend Tesla out in my view.
Ford has accelerated its deliberate manufacturing for the Lightning to a price of 150,000 models to be achieved round mid-2023 when Tesla additionally plans to be in quantity manufacturing with the Cybertruck, based on Musk’s most up-to-date feedback.
If there’s one thing Tesla has been unbelievable at over the previous few years is ramping electrical autos to mass manufacturing.
I’m not saying it can, however I wouldn’t be fully shocked if Cybertruck finally ends up catching as much as the Lightning by way of complete manufacturing by 2025. We should wait and see.
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