Ford Motor has announced a delay in the production of at least two new electric cars and a shift towards making more hybrids. This decision comes as a response to slowing sales for electric vehicle models and the challenges faced in making and selling enough electric cars profitably.
The company plans to start making a large electric sport-utility vehicle at its plant in Oakville, Ontario, in 2027, two years later than initially planned. A new plant that Ford is building in Tennessee will now start making an electric pickup truck in 2026, a year later than originally scheduled.
Ford’s decision reflects the latest sign that large automakers have been forced to rethink their strategy for electric vehicles. The shift by Ford and other companies like General Motors and Mercedes-Benz, which have also pushed back their electric car plans, has been prompted largely by the difficulty these companies have had in making and selling enough electric cars and doing so profitably.
Ford’s chief executive, Jim Farley, stated, “We are committed to scaling a profitable E.V. business, using capital wisely and bringing to market the right gas, hybrid and fully electric vehicles at the right time.” As a result, Ford said on Thursday that it hoped to offer a hybrid version of every model it sold by the end of the decade.
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