"The country's automotive future doesn't look as electric as carmakers had once hoped. But it doesn't mean the EV industry is entirely dead. On Monday, Ford Motor Company announced that it's taking major steps to pull back on its EV-focused future. The automaker is scrapping plans to produce a new electric truck, repurposing an EV battery plant to produce storage for the grid, and converting its fully electric F-150 Lightning into a hybrid."
"Manufacturing vehicles in the U.S. has become increasingly expensive, due in part to higher labor costs, stricter environmental regulations, and supply-chain issues. And a more expensive manufacturing environment means more investment risk. In 2025, it became even more challenging. "A lot of things designed to mitigate that risk have been unwound," says Albert Gore, executive director of the Zero Emissions Transportation Association (ZETA), a coalition advocating for EV advancement."
Ford is shifting away from a fully electric future by canceling a planned electric truck, repurposing an EV battery plant to produce grid storage, converting the F-150 Lightning into a hybrid, and expanding gas and hybrid models. The strategic pivot will cost the company $19.5 billion. U.S. vehicle manufacturing has faced higher labor costs, stricter environmental rules, supply-chain strains, and rising investment risk. Policy changes in 2025 removed some EV incentives, introduced tariffs, and relaxed fuel economy standards, increasing uncertainty and raising the cost of doing business in the U.S.
Read at Fast Company
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]