Auto world seems to think Ford making big EV bet

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by Stevewoods, Aug 7, 2026 at 2:41 PM.

  1. Stevewoods

    Stevewoods Senior Member

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  2. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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  3. futurist

    futurist Member

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    Yep -- EVs will go nowhere, without highly-expensive changes to infrastructure, period. And no one wants to be that guy -- who takes the career hit for the huge amt of local / state gov't spending, with no guarantee of any return on investment.

    Any buyer with a functioning brain will ask first, 'where can I charge this, if on a roadtrip'? And if the answer, as has been the last decade, is still 'way too few places to not be a PITA', they'll flock as with the Mav to hybrids, if they care at all about fuel economy (despite all the domestics and many imports sucking more and more reliability / durability content out of the hard parts, to support their bloated-multinational ambitions).

    There's no way I'd finance an EV here for even $40K, fifteen grand less than median EV MSRP -- no way in hell. And whilst this island was never great for EV prospects outside buses and large transit vehicles, just the state of what is there in 2026, should be a clue -- damaged and not repaired, or ground broken and curbs laid, but no componentry as someone cut the project loose and took the loss. And seems mainlanders outside the Coasts are getting the jist too re: hybrids -- at least where it's not frozen 9 mos out of the year.
     
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    this pickup came out of their ev skunkworks. if they can pull it off, it might do well against slate.
     
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  5. Zeppo Shanski

    Zeppo Shanski Active Member

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    Simple (?) here … I thought that EV buyers just set up charging units in their garages off their own electricity?!? After that, isn’t there an online network to show where charging stations can be found?!?
     
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  6. futurist

    futurist Member

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    ---

    Those who can afford them, usually have no problem installing 240VDC or even faster-charging components in their homes for two-car-garage duty. As a virtual retiree tho... can't afford a $50K first vehicle, nor the $4.5 - $6K to install the charging stuff in a 70yo house. My voice is for the vast majority of current owners driving (increasingly-very) used vehicle, esp those that haven't yet bought their first new car yet -- think that's gonna be a $50K one?

    Sure, you can use an app to find charging stations... in big cities / metro areas, or packed POIs. Try doing that on a roadtrip going anywhere pretty and out of the way in this country -- best of luck :unsure: And if you're having to structure your roadtrip / holiday around charging infra... is that really progress?

    Some seem to think so here... normally w\ median incomes waaay higher than mine. The neighborhood I walk daily thru ($0.9M - $1.7M homes), albeit on an island with no roadtrip prospects past ~100 mi one-way... these loaded homeowners overwhelmingly prefer EVs. They make sense here, if only to commute to work and back and maybe some middling restaurant trolls -- which on this island... your first year (first few months, really), you'll have driven to all POIs worth the trip, on offer :p
     
    #6 futurist, Aug 8, 2026 at 4:05 PM
    Last edited: Aug 8, 2026 at 6:38 PM
  7. BiomedO1

    BiomedO1 Senior Member

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  8. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    got my bolt for 23.5k, and gm through in free 240v circuit to my garage.
     
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  9. Zeppo Shanski

    Zeppo Shanski Active Member

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    Whenever it was a few years back that I got my G2, when I joined here shortly after, I wanted to get a Chevy Volt. At that time Volts hadn't been out long enough for me to get anything used that was affordable
    (that being what I paid for my G2). All things being equal ... I am not at all sorry. I don't think I would have been unhappy with the Volt, I have just been very happy with my G2.
     
  10. futurist

    futurist Member

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    Well that's a relief (y)

    The Volt couldn't compete with esp later Priuses for efficiency, just due to the losses their hybrid system incurred. There were other factors involved but GM has a history of contention with anything not ICE-only (RIP Chevy EV1) -- attitude which, of course can't be clung to these days.

    Both EV1 and better Volts* were killed by lack of spinal integrity in the boardroom... shame, they might've led the world in both kinds of vehicles. Can confirm dusting the later Volts, Bolt and new hybrid Civic in Normal mode, and still get 63 mpg at end of day -- so fair to say Toyota's not felt the least bit of guilt, eating both their procrastinating lunches :D

    ---

    * Volt, as in hatchback to directly compete with Prius
     
  11. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    The Volt died because GM's sedan sales were poor. If the Impala, LeSabre, or CT6 were selling, GM would have kept the their factory open. Which happened to be where the Volt was made.

    They made a hatchback Volt. As a Buick. For China. IIRC, Velite was the name.
     
  12. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    $28K Ford Fathom will be over $30K with destination fees and tax for sure. I have been looking for EV pick-up for years. I had money down for SLATE, but backed down now there is no tax credit. It would be fine small EV pick-up for all my purpose. $30K base line Fathom would be better buy compared to $27K bare bone SLATE or SLATE with options added.

    But, I decided to look for an used Lightning instead. I can get '23 or '24 Lightning for mid $30K if look hard.