Ford plans 'Model E' EV to compete with Chevy Bolt and Tesla Model 3
04-28-16, 04:20 PM
#1
Ford plans 'Model E' EV to compete with Chevy Bolt and Tesla Model 3
DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co. is developing an electric vehicle that would be competitive with the Chevrolet Bolt and Tesla Model 3, CEO Mark Fields said today.
Fields, asked whether the automaker intended to offer a battery-electric vehicle with a 200-mile range, said Ford wants to be “among the leaders or in a leadership position” as more automakers introduce long-range battery-powered cars.
“Clearly that’s something we’re developing for,” Fields said on Ford’s first-quarter earnings conference call.
Fields’ comments, while lacking details, are the first time a top executive with the company has acknowledged specific plans to directly challenge Tesla Motors and the Bolt.
Fields didn’t say how soon such a vehicle could go on sale. Ford is expected to call it the “Model E” and assemble it starting in 2019 at a new plant in Mexico that the company announced earlier this month.
The Model E would likely be offered as a traditional hybrid, a plug-in hybrid and a pure electric vehicle, according to research firm AutoForecast Solutions. Ford has a pending trademark application on the “Model E” name.
Fields announced in December that Ford would spend $4.5 billion on an effort to add 13 hybrid or electric vehicles to its lineup by 2020. He said 40 percent of Ford’s nameplates would be offered in an electrified version by that time.
Ford currently sells the Focus Electric with a 76-mile range. It’s increasing that to 100 miles this fall, but even that is just half the advertised range of the Bolt, which General Motors says will arrive later this year, and the Model 3, which is expected to go on sale within two years. In addition, Nissan North America is planning to offer a redesigned Leaf that goes at least 200 miles in 2018.
At this month’s SAE World Congress, several speakers said a range of at least 200 miles is needed to alleviate consumers' range anxiety about battery-powered cars. But Kevin Layden, the director of Ford’s electrification programs and engineering, said the Focus is enough to satisfy.
"I think right now with the launch of the Focus Electric at 100 miles, it is going to satisfy a big chunk of the population," Layden said. "It's going to be really affordable and a step up from where we are now."
Fields, asked whether the automaker intended to offer a battery-electric vehicle with a 200-mile range, said Ford wants to be “among the leaders or in a leadership position” as more automakers introduce long-range battery-powered cars.
“Clearly that’s something we’re developing for,” Fields said on Ford’s first-quarter earnings conference call.
Fields’ comments, while lacking details, are the first time a top executive with the company has acknowledged specific plans to directly challenge Tesla Motors and the Bolt.
Fields didn’t say how soon such a vehicle could go on sale. Ford is expected to call it the “Model E” and assemble it starting in 2019 at a new plant in Mexico that the company announced earlier this month.
The Model E would likely be offered as a traditional hybrid, a plug-in hybrid and a pure electric vehicle, according to research firm AutoForecast Solutions. Ford has a pending trademark application on the “Model E” name.
Fields announced in December that Ford would spend $4.5 billion on an effort to add 13 hybrid or electric vehicles to its lineup by 2020. He said 40 percent of Ford’s nameplates would be offered in an electrified version by that time.
Ford currently sells the Focus Electric with a 76-mile range. It’s increasing that to 100 miles this fall, but even that is just half the advertised range of the Bolt, which General Motors says will arrive later this year, and the Model 3, which is expected to go on sale within two years. In addition, Nissan North America is planning to offer a redesigned Leaf that goes at least 200 miles in 2018.
At this month’s SAE World Congress, several speakers said a range of at least 200 miles is needed to alleviate consumers' range anxiety about battery-powered cars. But Kevin Layden, the director of Ford’s electrification programs and engineering, said the Focus is enough to satisfy.
"I think right now with the launch of the Focus Electric at 100 miles, it is going to satisfy a big chunk of the population," Layden said. "It's going to be really affordable and a step up from where we are now."
04-28-16, 05:59 PM
#2
Lexus Fanatic
Why spend all that money to develop an all-new electric vehicle when they can just update the battery/hybrid system in the current all-electric Focus? If the company is convinced they actually need an all-new vehicle, fine, but they spent a pretty good chunk of money as it was just to develop the existing Focus lineup...might as well get everything they can out of it.
Last edited by mmarshall; 04-28-16 at 06:52 PM.
04-28-16, 06:30 PM
#3
Why spend all that money to develop an all-new electric vehicle when they can just update the battery/hybrid system in the current all-electric Focus? If the company is convinced they actually need an all-new vehicle, fine, but they spend a pretty good chunk of money as it was just to develop the existing Focus lineup...might as well get everything they can out of it.
04-28-16, 07:02 PM
#4
Excellent!
This will increase pressure on Toyota & Lexus to develop a battery electric vehicle BEV.
This will increase pressure on Toyota & Lexus to develop a battery electric vehicle BEV.
04-28-16, 08:31 PM
#5
Lexus Champion
Why spend all that money to develop an all-new electric vehicle when they can just update the battery/hybrid system in the current all-electric Focus? If the company is convinced they actually need an all-new vehicle, fine, but they spent a pretty good chunk of money as it was just to develop the existing Focus lineup...might as well get everything they can out of it.
04-29-16, 05:01 AM
#6
Pole Position
If EV prevails Toyota will certainly be one if not the last manufacturer to get into the game. I don't have any proof of that but considering how they never ever got into diesel thing when it was hotter than gasoline I don't know what would change their mind to go into EV. For now they are betting big on fuel cell just like they did with hybrid ten years ago.
04-29-16, 10:29 AM
#7
We could only dream!
If EV prevails Toyota will certainly be one if not the last manufacturer to get into the game. I don't have any proof of that but considering how they never ever got into diesel thing when it was hotter than gasoline I don't know what would change their mind to go into EV. For now they are betting big on fuel cell just like they did with hybrid ten years ago.
If EV prevails Toyota will certainly be one if not the last manufacturer to get into the game. I don't have any proof of that but considering how they never ever got into diesel thing when it was hotter than gasoline I don't know what would change their mind to go into EV. For now they are betting big on fuel cell just like they did with hybrid ten years ago.
Gasoline-electric hybrid isn't quite as quick as full battery EV, but hybrids are quicker than gasoline, yet can manage 500 mile ranges, while being hundreds of pounds lighter than EV, not just for braking and handling, but also for less brake pad wear & less tire wear, especially under racing conditions.
Hybrids can also be easily adapted from a conventional ICE platform.
What worries me is that hydrogen fuel cell has long range, but to deliver such a range, it must have its own dedicated hydrogen FCV platform.
Furthermore, the Mirai's 113 kW [~150 BHP] with 0-60 mph in 9 seconds just won't cut it.
Even the forthcoming 2020 5LS hydrogen FCV's estimated 220 kW [~300 BHP] won't do much either, especially when combined with a diminished 250 mile range, probably caused by its use of a dedicated ICE platform.
However we must keep in mind that batteries & electric motors have been around for a long time, while hydrogen fuel cell is relatively new technology.
Thus Toyota's HFCV's could improve on their power & range combinations in future years.
Even if hydrogen FCV's power and range combo doesn't improve markedly over the years, hydrogen FCV is still super relevant & super applicable to commercial vehicles, which tend to travel long distances such that range becomes a big issue, and hydrogen FCV is still the formula of choice for commercial vehicles.
Toyota has the world's biggest commercial vehicles division, I think.
There are car buyers who must purchase a long mileage range bus/truck because they don't want to miss out on that usage just once a year, and are not happy with renting for that one day a year.
However back to passenger vehicles, 0-60 in 3 seconds is still the benchmark, and for now, only EV's with electricity pre-stored in a battery and ready to be instantly released can do that, so hopefully this forthcoming Ford Model E EV can set off a "domino" effect for all other major manufacturers to enter the EV game, in the same way that Mercedes, BMW & Audi has forced Lexus into small capacity turbos & part aluminum chassis.
It would be so good if Toyota can wake up faster on all fronts, not just electric vehicles, but also small capacity turbos, and part aluminum chassis...
.
Last edited by peteharvey; 04-29-16 at 11:03 AM.
Trending Topics
04-29-16, 10:55 AM
#8
Lexus Champion
more than that, Ford will subsidize this with government funding the same way Tesla and GM did, the R&D will not be out of pocket, and that funding only applies to new development not redesigning existing platforms.
Ford wants the government to pay for the R&D and the only way that will happen is with a new model.
04-29-16, 11:00 AM
#9
Lexus Champion
We could only dream!
If EV prevails Toyota will certainly be one if not the last manufacturer to get into the game. I don't have any proof of that but considering how they never ever got into diesel thing when it was hotter than gasoline I don't know what would change their mind to go into EV. For now they are betting big on fuel cell just like they did with hybrid ten years ago.
If EV prevails Toyota will certainly be one if not the last manufacturer to get into the game. I don't have any proof of that but considering how they never ever got into diesel thing when it was hotter than gasoline I don't know what would change their mind to go into EV. For now they are betting big on fuel cell just like they did with hybrid ten years ago.
Toyota said long ago they didn't feel EV cars were the vehicles of the future and had no desire to pursue development of them.
http://www.geek.com/news/chief-toyot...tical-1620539/
http://insideevs.com/toyota-sees-no-...tric-vehicles/
http://insideevs.com/toyota-gives-pu...tric-vehicles/
http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/1/47...t-all-electric
04-30-16, 11:34 AM
#10
I find that Toyota's hybrid isn't that bad.
Gasoline-electric hybrid isn't quite as quick as full battery EV, but hybrids are quicker than gasoline, yet can manage 500 mile ranges, while being hundreds of pounds lighter than EV, not just for braking and handling, but also for less brake pad wear & less tire wear, especially under racing conditions.
Hybrids can also be easily adapted from a conventional ICE platform.
What worries me is that hydrogen fuel cell has long range, but to deliver such a range, it must have its own dedicated hydrogen FCV platform.
Furthermore, the Mirai's 113 kW [~150 BHP] with 0-60 mph in 9 seconds just won't cut it.
Even the forthcoming 2020 5LS hydrogen FCV's estimated 220 kW [~300 BHP] won't do much either, especially when combined with a diminished 250 mile range, probably caused by its use of a dedicated ICE platform.
However we must keep in mind that batteries & electric motors have been around for a long time, while hydrogen fuel cell is relatively new technology.
Thus Toyota's HFCV's could improve on their power & range combinations in future years.
Even if hydrogen FCV's power and range combo doesn't improve markedly over the years, hydrogen FCV is still super relevant & super applicable to commercial vehicles, which tend to travel long distances such that range becomes a big issue, and hydrogen FCV is still the formula of choice for commercial vehicles.
Toyota has the world's biggest commercial vehicles division, I think.
There are car buyers who must purchase a long mileage range bus/truck because they don't want to miss out on that usage just once a year, and are not happy with renting for that one day a year.
However back to passenger vehicles, 0-60 in 3 seconds is still the benchmark, and for now, only EV's with electricity pre-stored in a battery and ready to be instantly released can do that, so hopefully this forthcoming Ford Model E EV can set off a "domino" effect for all other major manufacturers to enter the EV game, in the same way that Mercedes, BMW & Audi has forced Lexus into small capacity turbos & part aluminum chassis.
It would be so good if Toyota can wake up faster on all fronts, not just electric vehicles, but also small capacity turbos, and part aluminum chassis...
.
Gasoline-electric hybrid isn't quite as quick as full battery EV, but hybrids are quicker than gasoline, yet can manage 500 mile ranges, while being hundreds of pounds lighter than EV, not just for braking and handling, but also for less brake pad wear & less tire wear, especially under racing conditions.
Hybrids can also be easily adapted from a conventional ICE platform.
What worries me is that hydrogen fuel cell has long range, but to deliver such a range, it must have its own dedicated hydrogen FCV platform.
Furthermore, the Mirai's 113 kW [~150 BHP] with 0-60 mph in 9 seconds just won't cut it.
Even the forthcoming 2020 5LS hydrogen FCV's estimated 220 kW [~300 BHP] won't do much either, especially when combined with a diminished 250 mile range, probably caused by its use of a dedicated ICE platform.
However we must keep in mind that batteries & electric motors have been around for a long time, while hydrogen fuel cell is relatively new technology.
Thus Toyota's HFCV's could improve on their power & range combinations in future years.
Even if hydrogen FCV's power and range combo doesn't improve markedly over the years, hydrogen FCV is still super relevant & super applicable to commercial vehicles, which tend to travel long distances such that range becomes a big issue, and hydrogen FCV is still the formula of choice for commercial vehicles.
Toyota has the world's biggest commercial vehicles division, I think.
There are car buyers who must purchase a long mileage range bus/truck because they don't want to miss out on that usage just once a year, and are not happy with renting for that one day a year.
However back to passenger vehicles, 0-60 in 3 seconds is still the benchmark, and for now, only EV's with electricity pre-stored in a battery and ready to be instantly released can do that, so hopefully this forthcoming Ford Model E EV can set off a "domino" effect for all other major manufacturers to enter the EV game, in the same way that Mercedes, BMW & Audi has forced Lexus into small capacity turbos & part aluminum chassis.
It would be so good if Toyota can wake up faster on all fronts, not just electric vehicles, but also small capacity turbos, and part aluminum chassis...
.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post