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Ford electric vehicles and hybrids: Here are some of the many models arriving soon

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2013 Ford Focus Electric
With last week’s announcement of a strategic partnership with electric truckmaker hopeful Rivian, cemented by a pending $500 million equity investment, Ford Motor Company is covering the bases for how the market might evolve and assuring multiple paths toward a future where vehicles with charge ports are the norm.

“Across the world, we're fortifying our franchise strengths in trucks, commercial vehicles, and performance vehicles and bolstering our SUV franchise, executing the unique approach to electric vehicles that takes advantage of our strongest nameplates,” said Ford CEO Jim Hackett on Ford’s Q1 earnings call, the day after the Rivian announcement.

In Ford’s business update the company noted its strengthened electric vehicle plan, which includes a future vehicle developed with Rivian.

Ford said in March 2018 that globally it will be creating 16 fully electric vehicles and 40 electrified vehicles through 2022. Everything the company has said since then about electrification fit neatly into that frame—except for one other thing, autonomous vehicles, which we’ll get to.

THE ELECTRIC CARS

Here, rounded up, are at least some of the fully electric vehicles that Ford has in the works:

2020 Ford electric SUV teaser

Mustang-influenced electric crossover. Ford has been pushing ahead with its plan to build this much-anticipated alternative to the Tesla Model Y. To make sure that the vision doesn’t become too diluted (or convoluted) along the way, it’s been focusing those efforts through a focused electric-vehicle team (Team Edison) that will guide it though all the way to production, delivery, and support.

Although Ford has dodged recent questions about pricing and position for this vehicle, which has been referred to as Mach 1 and Mach E, executives have at several points stressed the importance of affordability and noted that it’s one of the main targets for the project. The electric SUV will land in a middle ground between small EVs like the Hyundai Kona Electric and Chevrolet Bolt EV, and larger premium ones like the Audi E-tron and Tesla Model X. Based on comments from several company officials, expect it to start around $45,000 (or even less) when it arrives, in the second half of 2020.

Fully electric Lincoln crossover. As Ford’s North American president, Kumar Galhotra, said earlier this year, it will emphasize “understated, quiet luxury.” It could arrive as soon as 2021, which would beat the Cadillac EV we’re expecting to be a top alternative.

Other future “C-EV” vehicles—maybe even a sedan. The Ford (and Lincoln) electric vehicles are expected to be just the first two to be conceived on what Ford has described is a scalable electric vehicle platform. This platform, which was conceived to be in what’s called the C-segment globally, is intended to spawn an entire suite of electric-car variants. Although Ford is exiting the traditional, mainstream sedan fold, for instance, company officials have hinted to Green Car Reports that we may see the sedan form factor again in a niche—as a Lincoln EV, perhaps.

Fully electric luxury SUV. The Michigan-based company Rivian plans to introduce its R1T and R1S in the U.S. in late 2020. With last week’s announcement, the two companies will “work together to develop an all-new, next-generation battery electric vehicle for Ford’s growing EV portfolio using Rivian’s skateboard platform.” Rivian has already teased a tow rating of up to 11,000 pounds and a range of up to 400 miles, aided by battery packs of up to 180 kwh.

2019 Ford F-150 RTR

Fully electric F-150. Ford has confirmed it’s a project, but that’s about it. Since the F-150 is at the core of Ford’s heritage and profitability, you can bet it’s moving along, Rivian venture or not. Just don’t expect it to arrive quite as soon. But with continued U.S. demand for the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator, which are based on the F-150, we could see this paying off in broader scope.

THE HYBRIDS (SOME PLUG-IN)

Unlike GM, which discontinued the Chevrolet Volt and sees electric as a near-term future for the company, Ford aims to push full hybrids and plug-in hybrids out in more of its next-generation vehicles:

2020 Ford F-150 hybrid. Separate from the fully electric F-150 project, Ford is producing an F-150 hybrid, and it’s due soon—as a 2020 model. The F-150 hybrid is expected to use a 10-speed automatic transmission, as part of a hybrid system that should still allow a wider range of engine-off coasting and idling without sacrificing much if any towing or hauling ability. Ford has teased that the F-150 will have a power takeoff for tools and worksites—a feature that would be even more useful with a charge port, if that’s a hint.

2020 Lincoln Aviator plug-in hybrid

2020 Lincoln Aviator plug-in hybrid. The Aviator plug-in hybrid will come with a version of Ford’s soon-to-be-ubiquitous 10-speed modular-hybrid transmission. It will be the top-performing version in the Aviator lineup as well, with a projected 450 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque. The Ford Explorer on which it’s based is (in the U.S.) only available as a hybrid, with the Explorer plug-in hybrid saved for Europe for now.

2020 Lincoln Corsair, 2019 New York International Auto Show

2020 Ford Escape plug-in hybrid and 2020 Lincoln Corsair plug-in hybrid. These models arrive later in 2019 and employ a revised version of the variable-ratio/planetary hybrid system Ford has used in a number of other hybrid products, including the C-Max Energi and going back to the previous Escape Hybrid.

2020 Ford Mustang hybrid. A hybridized version of Ford’s 10-speed automatic transmission is also going to be the basis for the Hybrid Mustang. The hybrid pony car is likely to gallop to the performance potential of hybrid tech rather than eke out every possible mpg—possibly with a V-8 still a part of the presentation.

New Ford Bronco

2021 Ford Bronco hybrid. Ford still hasn’t confirmed final specs for its much-anticipated Bronco—or even revealed its production form—yet the company long ago confirmed that it would arrive in leaner shape, with a hybrid version.

Behind The Scenes At Tesla’s Seat Factory — #CleanTechnica Field Trip

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Published on April 27th, 2019 |

by Kyle Field

Behind The Scenes At Tesla’s Seat Factory — #CleanTechnica Field Trip

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April 27th, 2019 by Kyle Field

Tesla invited CleanTechnica to its Fremont Factory and snuck in some time at its seat factory. Zach Shahan wrote up a beautiful article about Tesla’s seat factory and Chanan Bos put together a fantastic video documenting the happenings inside the factory for CleanTechnica TV. That’s all for your viewing pleasure, of course.

The factory where Tesla builds its seats may not sound exciting, but as probably the only automotive manufacturer that builds its own seats, we were enthused about our exclusive look into what is a very unique factory in the automotive industry. Tesla has not only brought seat manufacturing in-house. It has also applied the automation it has become known for in the industry to its seat factory. This automation has resulted in the most highly automated lower seat assembly in the automotive world, which you can see in our video below.

Tesla was kind to pull back the curtain on its seat manufacturing operations, where we were able to get an inside look at the careful balance of automation and human-supported manufacturing that goes into the seats for its vehicles.

The seats that go into Tesla’s vehicles are not just any seats — they are world-class automotive seats that are assembled with vegan fabric that’s not only an adequate substitute for leather, but is actually superior in every noteworthy way. Tesla’s vegan leather seats, aesthetically beautiful (that’s a fact), are admirably durable, highly stain resistant, super soft, and (of course) greener than the norm.

Our video above provides a unique insight into the technology Tesla applies to the seats that it puts into its vehicles. That said, while the seats are important to a select few parts of your body, they are not even close to the most technologically advanced parts of the car. Just wait until we dig into Tesla’s Autopilot hardware and battery management systems. That’s when it gets really exciting. You can start to see the future through the possibilities of each technology individually and more so collectively as part of the whole car.

About the Author

Kyle Field I'm a tech geek passionately in search of actionable ways to reduce the negative impact my life has on the planet, save money and reduce stress. Live intentionally, make conscious decisions, love more, act responsibly, play. The more you know, the less you need. TSLA investor.

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Ride to future: Auto firms are crafting new strategies to stay on track

In this digital era, disruptions have become routine. But not many disruptions are as deep and comprehensive as those facing the automobile industry. With 3% of global car sales today, India is expected to drive half the additional global demand. To be sure, these upheavals have been in the works for a decade now. In… Continue reading Ride to future: Auto firms are crafting new strategies to stay on track

Elon Musk and S.E.C. Reach New Accord, Lifting Cloud Over Tesla

If it was not already clear, securities regulators are giving Elon Musk, the chief executive of Tesla, a laundry list of things he cannot riff about on Twitter. A revised agreement between Mr. Musk and the Securities and Exchange Commission, filed in federal court in Manhattan on Friday, spells out just when Mr. Musk must… Continue reading Elon Musk and S.E.C. Reach New Accord, Lifting Cloud Over Tesla

Tesla Nevada Gigafactory — Something Strange Is Going On, But It’s Not What You Think

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Published on April 20th, 2019 |

by Chanan Bos

Tesla Nevada Gigafactory — Something Strange Is Going On, But It’s Not What You Think

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April 20th, 2019 by Chanan Bos

The Tesla Gigafactory is a technological marvel, is largely a mystery, and also happens to be the world’s biggest battery manufacturing facility. This article was originally going to be about the financing “freeze” and what might actually be going on, but now it will also straighten out some new Panasonic lithium waste that just hit the fan.

Most people see the Gigafactory as one whole factory operated by Tesla and Panasonic to manufacture batteries with a new chemistry that was jointly developed by the two. All of that sounds very harmonious, but in reality, it really isn’t.

Panasonic is responsible for creating the battery cell, while Tesla is responsible for making the battery pack. These are in fact two very separate operations. Most Tesla employees have never seen the Panasonic side of the factory and most Panasonic employees have never seen the Tesla side of the factory. Imagine it like a takeout restaurant — the kitchen makes and packs the food, opens a hatch, pushes it through, and closes it again. Only, instead of food, we have batteries.

When we hear crazy stories about Elon sleeping in the factory, or stories of Elon getting his hands dirty working on some machine in the factory, it may very well be that this is only on Tesla’s side of the factory.

Missing Its Targets
At the end of August 2018, the Gigafactory reached 20 GWh/year output. This in itself is quite an achievement. Emboldened by it, Tesla decreed that it would hit the factory’s original output of 35 GWh by the end of the year. However, we found out that as of right now (April 2019), Gigafactory output has only reached ~24 GWh. This means that that, within the last 7–9 months, the Gigafactory has only gone from 19% complete (20 GWh) to 23% complete (24 GWh) rather than reaching 33% complete (35 GWh).

When we take into account when the factory was built and when it reached other milestones, what this translates into is not an exponential progress equation but rather a linear equation, and a slowing one at that. A word of caution, though, any line will look different depending on the scales used, and wild fluctuations can always cancel each other out in the longer term.

Panasonic’s Hopes, Failures, & Pleas
Panasonic is one of the best and biggest battery manufacturers in the world. Nonetheless, it is extremely lucky to have gotten its current arrangement with Tesla, which craves and is willing to invest in batteries beyond your wildest corporate dreams. Presumably, this means that Panasonic will go to great lengths to maintain its relationship with Tesla.

As was made clear in recent news, Panasonic’s side of the factory has been a bit of a mess. From that same news, we heard some disturbing but unconfirmed rumors that employees made mistakes there and are afraid to speak up. Yet again, this shows how different Tesla’s and Panasonic’s management strategies are. At Tesla, as we know from first-hand experience at the Fremont factory, the workers are pushed to not fear failures. Rather, they are discouraged from a lack of trying or saying the “forbidden words,” which are “that’s impossible.”

To us westerners, the Japanese culture can sometimes seem strict, which quite likely also translates at least in some fashion to Japanese facilities abroad. Otherwise, they’d risk looking pretty bad on audits. It must seem like quite a dilemma for Panasonic. From one side, the team there is expected by Tesla to rapidly increase its output (but they are unable to meet their goals). The result of such pressure? Probably more mistakes, lots of fear, and the things we have seen in the news recently about the Gigafactory, as well as other consequences.

Another desperate solution Panasonic had for solving the problem was throwing more money at the problem. In July and again in October, the Gigafactory was in the news spotlight when Panasonic commented on its willingness to commit additional investments to the Gigafactory. These investments were supposedly for growth beyond 35 GWh, but when we look at the current situation, it’s probably a bit more complex than that.

Additional lines will help reach the 35 GWh short-term goal, and in the long term, when the S-curve is ramped, could help go beyond 35 GWh. Tesla, however, was probably more worried about facing the same issue at a later date, once a lot more money was invested. Elon must be very frustrated by this since he can’t just use his usual mad engineering skills and tactics to go wild and experiment on Panasonic’s lines to help them ramp.

Maxwell
The story of Tesla buying Maxwell is extremely complicated. Long story short, it seems Maxwell was not doing so well but had upcoming technology that could change its financial predicament. Although this new technology would probably not come in time to save the company, investors were probably in denial about that. Maxwell wanted to sell the promise of future technology for a huge sum that Tesla didn’t feel like forking over. Word is Maxwell desperately tried to contact everyone in the industry to see if someone would offer more or place any bid at all to see if the investors could squeeze more out of Tesla. That is most likely when Panasonic got word of Tesla’s intention to buy a “battery component manufacturer.” Panasonic, knowing how much Tesla loves vertical integration, probably feared that Tesla was about to cheat on their currently exclusive relationship.

So, when Toyota came knocking, finally looking for a battery supplier, Panasonic, probably at its most vulnerable moment, felt like it could definitely use a new partner in case Tesla decided to do some more vertical integration. The timing of all of this is very suspect — the Toyota–Panasonic partnership was announced exactly two weeks prior to Tesla announcing its intent to buy Maxwell. Although, to be fair Toyota and Panasonic, they had already been flirting since at least 2017, and Toyota is interested in prismatic cell batteries rather than cylindrical ones.

The Ever-Changing Blueprints of the Gigafactory
Tesla is also in quite a predicament. On one hand, it has Panasonic struggling to meet its goals at the Gigafactory. On another hand, it doesn’t want to upset China by bringing Panasonic to GF3. On a third hand (just go with it), Maxwell’s technology might significantly improve Tesla’s batteries without having to wait or invest in the solid-state battery epiphany that a lot of car manufacturers are holding their breath for.

We know for a fact from multiple sources, including a company spokesperson, that the Gigafactory is completely packed. There’s no more room for anything without expanding the structure. The Model Y is supposed to be built there, perhaps other models, like the Roadster and Semi, as well. Tesla, however, has not yet broken ground to expand the exterior structure. This has puzzled a lot of people for quite a while. From what we can gather, Tesla itself doesn’t know when it will expand the structure. While there is no official reason for this, there is a theory that would explain quite a lot.

Tesla loves efficiency, so building the factory and then having to rebuild it due to changing plans is not something it would find acceptable. Right now, there are at least two sets of GF1 blueprints, maybe more. One set of blueprints has Maxwell dry-cell technology that might take more or less space, and one set doesn’t have that tech. The Maxwell option is probably not even a blueprint yet, just the understanding that the current blueprint would have to be updated.

Another matter is Panasonic’s inability to ramp production. Theoretically, Panasonic should be able to hit 35 GWh, but if it can’t or this takes much longer than planned, Tesla may have to consider changing the building blueprints to accommodate additional lines to meet long-term goals.

Finance Freezes
The mysterious financial freezes are just further confirmation of something strange going on, which quite possibly relates to a huge distrust issue. The bottom-line issue seems to be that more output is needed from existing equipment. With Panasonic as the reported bottleneck (according to Elon Musk), there’s no point in Tesla investing more at the moment, and it seems Panasonic is intent on getting more out of the current equipment before investing more, but calling it a financing freeze sounds controversial or even combative.

And it seems Panasonic was previously intent on investing in more lines to achieve 35 GWh, yet for some reason now prefers to first get more out of the current equipment. It’s just unclear what triggered that change — or if the money was invested but without reaping the expected fruits.

What’s Elon Up To?
One very big question remained when contemplating the lack of progress the Gigafactory has shown. Where is Elon currently focusing his attention? Autopilot? Fremont? Is he helping ramp the Gigafactory S-curve? Did he switch his focus to SpaceX now that the company is no longer drowning in production hell lava? Could he in fact have bought “Battery Manufacturing for Dummies” volumes 1 to 600 and be absorbing new knowledge to help him vertically integrate battery production? Who knows, but a very important unanswered question is: on the couch (or under the desk) of which facility is Elon spending his nights right now?

The Gigafactory 3 Shanghai Wild Card
One area teeming with activity, however, is GF3 in Shanghai, China. Gigafactory 3 will have its own battery production and could help pick up the slack for GF1 in Nevada. While we have now seen a preview of what GF3 will look like (during the Model Y event), we have yet to get any numbers from Tesla on its plans for battery produc..

Elon Musk, SEC agree to guidelines on Twitter use

Tesla, Elon Musk and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission reached an agreement Friday that will give the CEO freedom to use Twitter —within certain limitations — without fear of being held in contempt for violating an earlier court order. Musk can tweet as he wishes except when it’s about certain events or financial milestones. In… Continue reading Elon Musk, SEC agree to guidelines on Twitter use

Elon Musk makes deal with SEC not to discuss Tesla’s finances without a lawyer’s approval

Elon Musk, chief executive officer of Tesla Inc., arrives at federal court in New York, on Thursday, April 4, 2019.Natan Dvir | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesTesla CEO Elon Musk has reached an agreement with the Securities and Exchange Commission over his use of Twitter, according to an amended filing in U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York.
The late Friday agreement, which still needs to be approved by a judge, lays out exactly what kind of information requires formal legal review before being shared. This oversight process is now required for the company's blog, statements made on investor calls, as well as social media posts for material information.
The filing laid out the following items in that list:
the Company's financial condition, statements, or results, including earnings or guidance;potential or proposed mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, tender offers,or joint ventures;production numbers or sales or delivery numbers (whether actual, forecasted, or projected) that have not been previously published via pre-approved written communications issued by the Company ( “Official Company Guidance”) or deviate from previously published Official Company Guidance;new or proposed business lines that are unrelated to then-existing business lines (presently includes vehicles, transportation, and sustainable energy products);projection, forecast, or estimate numbers regarding the Company's business that have not been previously published in Official Company Guidance or deviate from previously published Official Company Guidance;events regarding the Company's securities (including Musk's acquisition or disposition of the Company's securities), credit facilities, or financing or lending arrangements;nonpublic legal or regulatory findings or decisions;any event requiring the filing of a Form 8-K by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including:
– a change in control; or
– a change in the Company's directors; any principal executive officer, president, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer, principal operating officer, or any person performing similar functions, or any named executive officer; orsuch other topics as the Company or the majority of the independent members of its Board of Directors may request, if it or they believe pre-approval of communications regarding such additional topics would protect the interests of the Company's shareholders;Tesla did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Shares of Tesla gained about 0.9% in postmarket trading. The stock had shed 5% during the normal session and has fallen 29% so far in 2019.
Friday's agreement “removes an overhang” for Tesla shareholders, said Dan Ives, managing director for equity research at Wedbush Securities.
VIDEO5:5405:54Shares of Tesla have plunged back below a key level, here's what's next for the stock “Some feared the SEC situation was not going to be resolved favorably so this resolution is a sigh of relief for the bulls. Tesla has enough bad news on its plate so this removes one headache for the Street with the focus now core demand and profitability,” he said.
This superseding agreement settles a dispute between the SEC and Musk about whether the Tesla chief violated the terms of their original deal in which he had agreed to clear his tweets containing material information about the company before posting. The SEC had asserted that Musk never sought clearance for any tweet.
The U.S. regulatory agency had claimed that Musk broke the terms of that agreement in February when he tweeted about Tesla production numbers for 2019.
The SEC first charged Musk last year, alleging he made fraudulent statements on Twitter. On Aug. 7, Musk tweeted that he had “funding secured” to take Tesla private at $420 per share.
In the first deal, Musk had also agreed to pay a civil penalty of $20 million and forfeit his role as chairman of the board for at least three years. The company also paid a $20 million fine.
— CNBC's Lora Kolodny contributed to this report.

UPDATE 2-Tesla’s Musk agrees to new vetting rules for tweets in SEC deal

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Tesla Inc Chief Executive Elon Musk has reached a deal with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to settle a dispute over his use of Twitter, agreeing to submit his public statements about the company’s finances and other topics to vetting by its legal counsel, according to a court filing on… Continue reading UPDATE 2-Tesla’s Musk agrees to new vetting rules for tweets in SEC deal

UPDATE 1-Tesla’s Elon Musk reaches deal with SEC over Twitter use

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Tesla Inc Chief Executive Elon Musk has reached a deal with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to settle a dispute over Musk’s use of Twitter, according to a court filing on Friday. FILE PHOTO: Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk (C) exits after attending a S.E.C. hearing at the Manhattan Federal… Continue reading UPDATE 1-Tesla’s Elon Musk reaches deal with SEC over Twitter use

Tesla investor provides a look inside new Roadster

2020 Tesla Roadster
At Tesla's self-driving event for investors on Monday afternoon, the company revealed another tidbit: a glimpse of its upcoming second-generation Roadster.

The company parked the new Roadster at the event, and for the first time let outsiders (at least those who have invested significant sums) open the doors and sit in it. The prototype was not available to drive.

Investor Hamid Shojaee took the opportunity to share a 39-second video clip on Twitter. In it, he tries out Tesla's latest approach to door handles, and looks to the squared-off Formula 1-style bat-wing steering wheel, its large center touch screen, as well as its vestigial rear seats.

Starting from the outside, the new door handles are entirely electronic. As he tries to open the door in the video, Shojaee has to try several times to open the door, first swiping up on the sensors, then when that doesn't work, swiping down—as if Tesla needed any more hassles with unusual door handles. Once he swipes down from the top, the door opens on the first try.

Inside, the car's steering wheel looks straight out of a Hollywood Batmobile mockup. Such a vestigial “wheel” only makes sense if the car is steered entirely by wire and has less than about a full-turn lock-to-lock. That's not impossible, and it wouldn't be the only car with a steer-by-wire system.

DON'T MISS: Tesla Roadster is back: 0-60 in 1.9 seconds, 620-mile range

The Roadster's center screen returns to something like the Model S's original vertical orientation, but it's much bigger, and the car has no second instrument screen as the Model S and Model X do. It also reclines at a steep angle on the raked console, rather than perching atop the center dash as the Model 3's does.

In the rear, the new Roadster has a couple of tiny butt-baskets for seats, reminiscent of the original Porsche 911. That's not necessarily a criticism, but pretty typical for the genre.

READ MORE: The new 2020 Tesla Roadster that wasn't in Switzerland

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said the company plans to sell the $250,000 sports car in 2020. It is expected to have up to 620 miles of range and hit 60 mph from a stop in 1.9 seconds.

What it does not have in terms of typical roadster features is a convertible top.