Ford CEO Jim Farley is warning that Europe could undermine its own carmakers if it keeps setting ambitious EV rules and then backing away from them when buyers do not follow
That stop-start approach, he says, leaves automakers designing products and plants for targets that may not stick, all while dealing with tariffs, content rules and rising costs.
It’s weird because I feel like I see a lot of solid points from him on EVs and yet I don’t feel like I see a lot of leadership from Ford in the EV space, and missteps in their rollouts. I’ve driven the Lightning and Mach E, great cars in many ways, but still expensive (although I remember the work truck variant of the Lightning was actually slightly less expensive than a comparable ICE vehicle). They spent a lot of money on electric and then haven’t pushed farther.
It’s one area where I wonder if they would do better as a private company, not beholden to investors who want results this quarter.