Ford has written off $1.9bn as it cancelled plans for an all-electric large SUV in the US, opting to produce a hybrid version instead in the latest sign of western carmakers struggling to make profitable electric cars.
The US carmaker said on Wednesday that it would not be able to reach a profit on the electric SUV within a year, its measure of whether a new car is viable, citing the stiff competition from Chinese manufacturers. It will initially write off the cost of $400m (£300m) in tooling for the vehicle, plus another $1.5bn (£1.15bn) in extra costs in the future.
Ford also said it would delay the successor to its F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck until 2027, after initially targeting a launch next year.
The Ford boss, Jim Farley, said the decision to produce fewer electric cars in favour of hybrids “gives our customers maximum choice and plays to our strengths”.
how does producing fewer options result in more choice, let alone “maximum” choice?
i feel like corporations are just throwing around “customer choice” as a justification for literally everything they do, regardless of how much “choice” is actually involved–same bullshit as tax-funded vouchers for private jesus schools
They are maximising choice by creating a new lowest rung on the ladder of choices. Now you can buy something good, or buy a Ford!
They are the customer of future “too big to fail” government bailouts, and they are choosing to get more free money.
