Ford Focusing On Compelling EVs Over Efficiency Or Shoppers Won't Buy

Many people don't care as much about efficiency as they do about having an attractive and accommodating car that performs well.

While the main reason for transitioning from gas to electric cars is to provide products that are better for the environment, many buyers simply don’t care very much about efficiency. They may care when gas prices are high, but to some buyers, getting an EV isn’t about reducing global warming, but rather, getting the newest and exciting model that everyone’s talking about.

According to a recent article published by CarsGuide out of Australia, Ford is aiming to produce electric cars that are “insanely great,” regardless of whether or not they’re the best option for the environment. Essentially, any EV is going to be better for the environment than a similar gas-powered vehicle, and Ford (along with its rivals) needs to convince people that its EVs are compelling, exciting, accommodating, and top performers.

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Ford’s strategy has resulted in the popular Mustang Mach-E crossover, which is a direct rival to the Tesla Model Y, as well as the F-150 Lightning, one of the first electric pickup trucks on our shores. These new EVs aren’t the most efficient compared to rivals, but, when it comes to technology, performance, and overall appeal, they’re a huge step forward from cars like the old Focus Electric. While Ford still isn’t at the point that it’s producing nearly as many EVs as it is gas cars, its electric vehicles are selling out.

Ford’s VP of electric vehicle programs for the Model E division, Darren Palmer shared that the brand’s not just going to take existing models and fit them with electric powertrains. He explained:

“The next vehicle we’re doing is an Explorer-type vehicle, and we’re working on making that insanely great. My boss says to me, both [Ford president and CEO] Jim Farley and [head of Model E] Doug Fields, ‘if it’s like today but a bit better, it’s cancelled.’”

He went on to say that the winning formula for Ford is to focus on segments that its customers like, and then make them “insanely great” and capable of achieving new feats. The VP said he feels like the Blue Oval has been able to achieve its winning formula with its EVs to date, and it will continue to implement the formula going forward.

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Emma Berg, the Big Three automaker’s director of communications agreed. She shared via CarsGuide:

“There is not such a drive for sustainability in the US because, quite frankly, a lot of people don’t really care. So, the way we think we’ll succeed is by making an insanely great product.”

Berg did add that Ford certainly cares about making greener products, but that doesn’t appear to matter to most consumers. Thus, it’s part of Ford’s job to make compelling products that people will want to buy, all while making sure they’re as green as they can be. She said that one of the most important things is to provide customers with something special that they’ve never had in the past.