$F: Is Ford Built Tough for the Future?
In 2021, Ford stock has rewarded shareholders with a massive 94.18% return compared to the S&P Index’s gain of around 24%. In this article, we seek to explain the cause for this outperformance, and seek to answer if Ford has what it takes in the EV game to provide formidable competition to the likes of Tesla, Chevy, and Toyota.
Ford’s EV Strategy:
The electric era is here, and Ford is in the midst of implementing an ambitious, comprehensive plan to make the transition to an electric lifestyle – or commercial fleet, for that matter – easy.
Ford is investing $22 billion in electrification through 2025 as part of its plan to lead electrification in areas of strength. The company is electrifying its most iconic products – the Mustang, F-150 and Transit – with many more to come in the years ahead. In addition to offering zero-emissions versions of its most popular vehicles, Ford is harnessing electrification to deliver more of what customers love about them: Performance, capability and productivity.
A key part of Ford’s goal to drive the adoption of electric vehicles is to target the large market for fully electric commercial vans and pickups. Ford is planning to bring the benefits of electric vehicles to these customers with an accessible price point, improved productivity, and lower cost of ownership.
Along with a variety of home charging solutions, Ford has North America’s largest public charging network†, with more than 63,000 charging plugs and growing. Built-in charging solutions, such as cloud-connected navigation, route customers to nearby charging stations, recommend where to charge on trips and provide easy access and payment via FordPass for a seamless customer experience.
And with more than 2,300 EV-certified dealers across all 50 states – plus 644 EV-certified commercial vehicle centers – Ford stands ready to serve customers and help people transition to electric vehicle ownership.
Ford has electric vehicle manufacturing footprints across the world. This includes four plants in North America, such as the new Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Michigan. The company is investing $700 million into the Rouge complex, adding 500 new jobs and employing advanced sustainable manufacturing technology to build F-150 Lightning as well as F-150 PowerBoost Hybrid.
Mustang Mach-E
The Mach-E is Ford’s first foray into the all electric game, and it comes in the form of a sleek compact SUV with fastback Mustang designs cues.
Per Ford:
For the first time in 56 years, Ford is expanding the Mustang lineup with the all-electric Mustang Mach-E SUV joining the sports coupe, convertible and special editions, featuring an all-new infotainment system, SYNC4A, and connected vehicle technology
Mustang Mach-E embodies the Mustang spirit – from its sleek silhouette and muscular curves to exhilarating drive experiences that offer unique driving dynamics and sounds
Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition brings the thrills Mustang is famous for, targeting 0-60 mph in 3.5-seconds and an estimated 358 kW (480 horsepower) and 860 Nm (634 lb.-ft.) of torque
Mustang Mach-E instills confidence, with an EPA-estimated range of at least 300 miles with the available extended-range battery and rear-wheel drive, offering built-in charging solutions that route customers to nearby public charging stations, recommending where to charge on trips, and providing access to over 13,500 public charge stations in the FordPass charging network
2022 Ford F-150 Lightning
The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning is the electric version of the F-150 pickup, and it'll go on sale in the spring of next year.
Two battery packs are available, targeting EPA-estimated ranges of 230 and 300 miles, and all models have a dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup.
Pricing is expected to range from $42,000 for the soon-to-be-announced base model to up to around $90,000 for a loaded Platinum model.
