Ford Pulls Back Further From EVs With $1.9 Billion SUV Pivot (August 21, 2024)
www.bnnbloomberg.ca

... Ford Motor Co. is recalibrating its electrification strategy yet again, canceling plans for a fully electric sport utility vehicle in a shift that may cost the carmaker around $1.9 billion.

In addition to scrapping an all-electric three-row SUV that already had been delayed, Ford will further postpone a next-generation electric pickup and reduce spending on EVs to 30% of its annual capital expenditures, from about 40% previously. The automaker also announced Wednesday it's shaking up battery-sourcing plans, citing the need to better compete with lower-cost Chinese competitors.

The actions amount to further pullback by Chief Executive Officer Jim Farley, who initially accelerated Ford's shift to EVs when he took over the top job almost four years ago. The automaker incurred significant costs spooling up production as industry sales growth began to taper off, leading Ford to forecast that its EV unit will lose as much as $5.5 billion this year.

Farley is now betting Ford can deliver EVs that are priced on par with traditional vehicles, including a battery-powered midsize pickup truck due to debut in 2027, and turn a profit on these models within a year after they launch. ...

Yeah, why would I want to pay so much more for an EV with all the downsides of owing an EV vehicle?

3 Things Utilities Can Do to Prepare the Power Grid for More Electric Cars (April 17)
www.evconnect.com

... Can the power grid actually handle that many electric cars?

In simplest terms, yes, it can.

But the deeper answer is a bit more complicated. The capacity is there, but to truly handle this new surge in EV grid demand, it will take planning on the part of utility companies across the U.S. ...

So, their answer really seems to be ~no, the utilities cannot handle to lewd without changes.~

And I would agree with that assessment.