In at this time’s information from Ford, there have been two cool tales. The primary one we’ll share is about an F-150 Lightning proprietor who makes use of it to energy (actually) his scooter rental enterprise. After that, we’ll share some updates the corporate gave us from the development of the BlueOval battery manufacturing facility.
Utilizing an EV to Cost Up Smaller EVs
Max Rastelli runs HFX e-Scooters in Halifax, Nova Scotia, a enterprise he began in 2019 after years of proudly owning Ford autos. He clearly liked clear transportation like we do, however he wanted a truck to make a dwelling. So, in 2021, he positioned a deposit for the electrical Ford F-150 Lightning and took supply the next October.
Now, Rastelli is displaying his fellow Halifaxians the way it’s performed, with a enterprise that’s powered by clear electrical energy from starting to finish. Not solely that, however the truck’s capabilities are serving to him get forward whereas spending extra time with the household.
“It grew to become instantly clear to me that the F-150 Lightning might increase my enterprise productiveness as a cellular battery charging station via using Professional Energy Onboard.” he mentioned. “Thanks partly to those vans, I’ve been in a position to double the variety of e-Scooters on my fleet, with near-zero downtime associated to charging, making my enterprise twice as environment friendly. And it doesn’t harm that this truck is a variety of enjoyable to drive, with its low middle of gravity and easy trip.”
When Rastelli first began the enterprise, he would put entire scooters at the back of his truck to hold to a central charging hub within the metropolis. This meant that he spent a variety of time driving scooters forwards and backwards, and with {that a} LOT of downtime caught sitting and ready for small batteries to cost. Shifting to swappable batteries helped this case some, however he nonetheless needed to cost them day by day on the hub, making for a giant waste of time.
That is the place the F-150 Lighting actually pulled its personal weight. Utilizing the onboard 120v plugs, Rastelli might cost a number of batteries concurrently, and do it on the transfer whereas driving to choose up and drop off scooters. This eradicated the necessity for a central hub, improved effectivity, and lowered e-Scooter downtime. The elevated productiveness was so important that Rastelli bought a second truck in June 2023 to enhance the effectivity of his scooter fleet much more!
BlueOval Metropolis Building Replace
Final yr, we shared the story of Ford’s new BlueOval Metropolis EV and battery manufacturing facility. It’s a state-of-the artwork auto manufacturing advanced that occurs to be the biggest one within the firm’s 119 years in enterprise. Ford is aware of that constructing sufficient EVs is a “go massive or go residence” second in historical past, so Ford knew the corporate needed to construct a historic manufacturing unit advanced to assist the hassle.
We additionally discovered that the corporate deliberate to construct its next-generation electrical truck, constructed from the bottom as much as be an EV as an alternative of adapting the body-on-frame building of the F-150 to carry batteries. So, the ability will not be solely the way forward for Ford’s EV enterprise, however the way forward for the entire thing, as Ford’s vans are the corporate’s bread and butter.
However, a variety of water has gone below the bridge since final yr. Financial headwinds, slowing development in demand for EVs (to not be confused with lowered demand), and a must concentrate on extra inexpensive EVs has made issues so much more durable for producers pushing an EV effort. Everybody, together with Tesla, have needed to make changes. GM and Ford have each needed to in the reduction of on manufacturing and/or delay plans, with Ford chopping again on the variety of shift constructing Lightnings.
So, it appears apparent that plans might have to vary in BlueOval Metropolis, however Ford not too long ago introduced in a brief and candy press launch that the corporate goes to press forward with the plan.
“We’re happy to substantiate we’re transferring forward with the Marshall challenge, according to the Ford+ plan for development and worth creation.” the corporate mentioned. “Nevertheless, we’re right-sizing as we steadiness funding, development, and profitability. The power will now create greater than 1,700 good-paying American jobs to supply a deliberate capability of roughly 20 GWh. We nonetheless anticipate BlueOval Battery Park Michigan to be the primary of Ford’s battery crops of this type when it begins producing LFP battery cells beginning in 2026.”
However, the corporate didn’t evaluate prior plans on this press launch. The unique plan was to create greater than 6,000 jobs, and now that quantity is down by greater than two thirds. So, whereas BlueOval Metropolis continues to be taking place, it’s going to be extra of a “BlueOvalton” or “BlueOval Village”, no less than for the subsequent few years.
Not Essentially A Unhealthy Signal
Earlier than I shut this text, I do wish to remark a bit about what it means and doesn’t imply.
The “glass half empty” method to this information is to make all of it in regards to the discount. However, to do this, we’ve got to face within the 2026 we had been trying ahead to and look backward. From the best model of 2026, a 2/3 discount is catastrophic. However, we aren’t in 2026. We’re in 2023 (final I checked), and there’s actually no BlueOval Metropolis in any respect but.
So, as an alternative of this like a discount, it needs to be considered as slower development. However, slower development continues to be development, and we’re nonetheless seeing future plans for EV manufacturing development. Issues ARE getting higher, simply not as rapidly as we had hoped.
I don’t imply to interact in poisonous positivity, although. This does present that transferring transportation from ICE to EVs goes to be so much more durable than we thought. It’s nonetheless taking place, however this isn’t any time for us to be chopping again on working towards that objective. So, whether or not you’re within the business, you’re an activist, you’re on this for the political angles, otherwise you’re an investor, it’s nonetheless time to maintain placing the laborious work in to maintain issues from slowing down much more.
So, if something, this can be a signal that we have to push more durable as an alternative of assuming the worst.
Featured picture offered by Ford.
