{"id":2474556,"date":"2025-08-14T07:03:58","date_gmt":"2025-08-14T11:03:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fords-very-risky-electric-vehicle-gambit-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-08-14T07:10:47","modified_gmt":"2025-08-14T11:10:47","slug":"fords-very-risky-electric-vehicle-gambit-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fords-very-risky-electric-vehicle-gambit-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Ford\u2019s very risky electric vehicle gambit &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffords-very-risky-electric-vehicle-gambit-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2474556&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Ford Motor Company is making a important bet on electric vehicles (evs) by planning to launch a new affordable, four-door electric pickup truck priced at $30,000. This compact truck will have passenger space comparable to a Toyota RAV4 and feature both a traditional truck bed and a front trunk (&#8220;frunk&#8221;). Ford emphasizes that despite the lower price, the vehicle will maintain quality.<\/p>\n<p>Though, Ford faces major challenges: it has already lost billions on its EV operations, including a projected $5.5 billion loss in 2025. Additionally, tariffs from the Trump administration are expected to add over $2 billion in costs. The company must also contend with the expiration of tax incentives for EV buyers later this year.<\/p>\n<p>To support the launch, Ford is investing more than $2 billion in the vehicleS development and $3 billion in a new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-energy-sec-offloads-proterra-stock-amid-conflict-of-interest-concerns\/\" title=\"Biden Energy Sec Offloads Proterra Stock Amid Conflict of Interest Concerns\">battery manufacturing plant<\/a>. The company is introducing a novel three-step assembly process aimed at reducing labor intensity, cutting parts by 20%, saving 40% assembly time, and improving productivity by 15%. The new EV will use lithium-iron batteries, which are safer, more cost-effective, and free of cobalt and nickel compared to previous battery types.<\/p>\n<p>Ford plans to bring this vehicle to market in 2027 but has a history of delays with new model launches. questions remain about the size of the market for lower-cost EVs, the vehicle&#8217;s driving range, charging time challenges, and competition from vehicles like Tesla&#8217;s lower-cost Model Y.<\/p>\n<p>while ford&#8217;s bold EV initiative could revolutionize the company, its previous financial losses and operational challenges make the investment risky. The success of this venture will be critical for improving Ford&#8217;s long-term stock performance and competitiveness in the evolving automotive market.  <\/p>\n<div id=\"ld-4686-3758\"><\/div>\n<p><script>(function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:14832835450050406,size:[0, 0],id:\"ld-4686-3758\"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src=\"https:\/\/cdn2.decide.dev\/_js\/ajs.js\";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,\"script\",\"ld-ajs\");<\/script><\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Ford&rsquo;s very risky <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bidens-climate-agenda-wont-replace-jobs-it-seeks-to-kill-separate-ap-wapo-fact-checks-suggest\/\" title=\"Biden\u2019s Climate Agenda Won\u2019t Replace Jobs It Seeks To Kill, Separate AP, WaPo Fact-Checks Suggest\">electric vehicle<\/a> gambit<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2201680\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ford\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Ford<\/a> Motor Company is doubling down on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/electric-vehicles\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">electric vehicles<\/a>. This week, the company announced that it will launch a new&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.motortrend.com\/news\/ford-universal-ev-platform-affordable-pickup-truck-preview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">affordable EV<\/a>, a four-door pickup. The new vehicle will have passenger space similar to a Toyota RAV4 and will feature both a truck bed and a front trunk (&ldquo;frunk&rdquo;).&nbsp;Ford will market the electric small-sized pickup truck at a starting price of $30,000. Ford says that the $30,000 model will not be a cut-rate vehicle.<\/p>\n<p>Ford is gambling big with the launch of this new EV. The company has already lost billions of dollars manufacturing EVs. In 2024, Ford lost $5 billion in its EV operations. This year, anticipated&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/autos-transportation\/ford-projects-mounting-ev-losses-2025-q4-profit-up-2025-02-05\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">losses<\/a>&nbsp;will reach $5.5 billion. Moreover, Ford is being hit hard by the tariff policies of President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Donald Trump<\/a>. This year, Trump&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/07\/30\/business\/ford-profit-tariffs.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">tariffs<\/a>&nbsp;will hit Ford&rsquo;s bottom line with a cost of $2 billion or more.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/3499038\/nrcc-launches-inside-the-majority-video-series-gabe-evans\/\">NRCC launches &lsquo;Inside the Majority&rsquo; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nrcc-launches-inside-the-majority-videos-for-2026-midterms\/\" title=\"NRCC ...es \u2018Inside the Majority\u2019 videos for 2026 midterms\">video series ahead<\/a> of 2026 midterm elections<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/finance-and-economy\/3499214\/trump-team-anxious-over-court-threat-to-tariffs\/\">Trump team anxious over court threat to tariffs<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3499491\/residents-respond-in-protest-as-federal-officers-mpd-mobilize-in-dc\/\">Residents respond in protest as federal officers, MPD mobilize in DC<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Another hurdle for Ford to overcome is that the discounts and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/insideevs.com\/features\/765331\/ev-tax-credit-ending-faq\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">tax breaks<\/a>&nbsp;to purchase EVs introduced by the prior administration end on September 30.&nbsp;The new EV will require a capital&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2025\/08\/11\/ford-louisville-assembly-plant-ev-investment.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">investment<\/a>&nbsp;of more than $2 billion. In addition, as part of this vehicle launch, Ford is investing $3 billion in a new battery&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2025\/08\/11\/ford-louisville-assembly-plant-ev-investment.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">manufacturing<\/a>&nbsp;plant.&nbsp;Ford&rsquo;s balance sheet will be tested.&nbsp;The company says that the introduction of this new EV will be as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.roadandtrack.com\/news\/a65654411\/ford-model-t-moment-electric-compact-4-door-pickup-truck\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">revolutionary<\/a>&nbsp;as the launch of the car that put Ford Motor Company on the map, the Ford Model T.<\/p>\n<p>Ford is changing the manufacturing process for this light pickup truck. Rather than the traditional assembly line where a vehicle moves in a straight line through the plant, this new vehicle will be&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/5lzDLnW0I5g?si=7sJ3YmQykWnI4Qnl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">assembled<\/a>&nbsp;in three steps. Ford compares the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fromtheroad.ford.com\/us\/en\/articles\/2025\/ford-reinvents-vehicle-assembly-new-production-system-platform\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">process<\/a>&nbsp;to making an artificial Christmas tree. Two branches will be brought together with the trunk of the tree. The backend will be assembled separately from the front. Once the back and front are assembled, these two production lines will join the assembly line where the middle of the vehicle will be integrated with the front and rear.<\/p>\n<p>Ford says the assembly process will be completed with a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cars.com\/articles\/ford-announces-investment-to-make-revolutionary-low-cost-american-built-ev-family-514210\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"time savings\">time savings<\/a>&nbsp;of 40% and a throughput productivity improvement of 15%. There will be 20% fewer parts with the new manufacturing process. And the new vehicle will see a 4,000-foot&nbsp;reduction&nbsp;in wiring. Importantly, the new production process will be less labor-intensive.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Ford is also introducing a new battery for the EV. This is important because the battery is the most&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.electriccarscheme.com\/blog\/why-are-electric-cars-more-expensive\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">expensive<\/a>&nbsp;part of an electric vehicle. Ford will use lithium-iron&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fromtheroad.ford.com\/us\/en\/articles\/2025\/ford-owned-american-battery-plant-future-electric-vehicles\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">batteries<\/a>.&nbsp;These batteries will be cheaper and safer than the nickel cobalt manganese cells previously used. The new battery will be cobalt and nickel-free. This, too, will produce cost savings.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Ford says it will bring the new EV to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/5lzDLnW0I5g?si=7sJ3YmQykWnI4Qnl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">market<\/a>&nbsp;in 2027. Unfortunately, Ford has a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/5lzDLnW0I5g?si=7sJ3YmQykWnI4Qnl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reputation<\/a>&nbsp;for being late with new models.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>This new vehicle launch raises several questions. Is the market for a new, lower-cost EV sufficiently large for Ford to earn its cost of capital on the model? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wxyz.com\/news\/ford-says-it-will-stop-competing-in-over-served-markets-wont-be-all-things-to-all-people\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Margins<\/a>&nbsp;are low in the car industry. Will the new vehicle have a sufficient range to satisfy drivers who worry about running out of battery charge? And can Ford overcome the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/octopusev.com\/ev-hub\/how-long-does-it-take-to-charge-an-electric-car\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">problem<\/a>&nbsp;of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/family-calls-police-on-energy-secretarys-ev-entourage-blocking-charging-station\/\" title=\"Family reports Energy Secretary\u2019s ... entourage blocking charging station to police.\">long charging times<\/a>? Currently, it takes just a few minutes to fill up a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >traditional internal combustion engine vehicle<\/a> with gasoline. Charging an EV can take 30 or more minutes. And, of course, will the new EV be competitive against the new lower-cost Model Y from Tesla?<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/3496526\/chinese-warship-collision-south-china-sea-philippines-tensions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ESCALATING CHINA-PHILIPPINES TENSIONS CRYSTALIZED BY CHINA WARSHIP COLLISION<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Ford is making a big bet. If it works, perhaps Ford&rsquo;s stock&nbsp;can begin to produce the returns necessary for investors to purchase it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>But Ford&rsquo;s stock has delivered subpar&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/finance.yahoo.com\/news\/ford-stock-looks-cheap-0-130700382.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">returns<\/a>&nbsp;for more than two decades. The investment community should rightly be skeptical about the hype surrounding this new vehicle launch.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>James Rogan is a former U.S. foreign service officer who has worked in finance and law for 30 years. He writes&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/rogan.substack.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a daily note<\/a><\/em>&nbsp;<em>on the markets, politics, and society.<\/em>&nbsp;<em>He can be followed on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/JamesY54939\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">X<\/a><\/em>&nbsp;<em>and reached at&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#1644797177785c777b73652e24262456717b777f7a3875797b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><span class=\"__cf_email__\" data-cfemail=\"dc8eb3bbbdb296bdb1b9afe4eeecee9cbbb1bdb5b0f2bfb3b1\">[email&nbsp;protected]<\/span><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_2201680\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"2201680\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ford&#8217;s bold bet: launching an affordable electric pickup<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3831,"featured_media":2474557,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/AP24200438574853-scaled-1024x682.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[35800,33516,52763],"class_list":["post-2474556","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-electric-vehicle","tag-ev","tag-ford-2"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/AP24200438574853-scaled-1024x682.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2474556","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3831"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2474556"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2474556\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2474560,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2474556\/revisions\/2474560"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2474557"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2474556"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2474556"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2474556"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}