Economy

Ford to shift electric vehicle strategy by building new lower-cost pickups and a commercial van

Public Radio 90, WNMU | By Associated Press

Published August 22, 2024 at 2:44 PM EDT

Matt Rourke/AP

FILE - A logo on a vehicle at a Ford dealership in Springfield, Pa., Tuesday, April 26, 2022. Ford is recalling more than 1.5 million vehicles in the U.S. in two actions to fix leaky brake hoses and windshield wiper arms that can break. The company says in documents posted Friday, March 17, 2023 by safety regulators that the front brake hoses can rupture and leak brake fluid. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

DETROIT (AP) — Ford Motor Co. is changing its electric vehicle plans and now will focus on making two new electric pickup trucks and a new commercial van. The company says all will cost less, have longer range and be profitable within a year of reaching showrooms. Ford, which is losing millions on its current EVs, gave few details about the new products. But it said production of its next generation full-size electric pickup truck will be delayed 18 months, until 2027. The company also says it won’t build fully electric three-row SUVs, but instead will focus on making those vehicles as gas-electric hybrids. The other new pickup will be mid-sized, based on new underpinnings developed by a small team in California.