Ford doubles production of its hybrid trucks due to the slowdown…

Bloomberg – Automaker Ford Motor Company (F) will double its production and… It will lower prices on F-150 hybrid trucks (petrol and electric), as fully electric models are increasingly difficult to sell to buyers on a limited budget.

The company is seeing increased demand for the F-150 Hybrid, which currently accounts for one in ten deliveries of its most popular model. Ford said on Tuesday that by increasing production next year It will offer this hybrid at an initial price of US$55,000 plus delivery costswhich is the same price as the exactly equivalent gasoline engine model.

“We think sales will practically double,” John Emmert, general manager of Ford North America’s truck division, said in an interview. “When we reach that capability, we’ll be able to sell it for the same price” as a traditional F-150.

Why hybrid models?

This decision comes within the plan of the CEO, Jim Farley, to quadruple sales of hybrid vehicles over the next five years, while the company expands the range of its hybrid models. The move comes as the automaker slows ambitious production schedules for its all-electric models and cuts electric vehicle prices amid consumer opposition to rising prices for electric vehicles exclusively powered by batteries.

“Honestly, it happened I was surprised by the popularity of hybrid systems “For the F-150,” Farley told analysts on the company’s second-quarter earnings conference call last July.

On Tuesday, Ford unveiled new versions of the F-150 hybrid and gasoline model on the sidelines of the annual Detroit Auto Show, featuring a new design and new technology. It now expects hybrids to make up a fifth of F-150 sales, Emmert said.

Hybrid version of The small Ford Maverick represents approximately 60% of sales. The two models combine to give Ford more than three-quarters of the U.S. market for gas-electric pickup trucks, the company said.

Buyers are turning to hybrid trucks because they offer a way to reduce fuel consumption while maintaining towing capacity. Hauling a heavy load in the all-electric F-150 Lightning, which starts at $49,995, would drain the battery faster and reduce range.

The combination of an electric motor and a 3.5-liter V6 gives the F-150 Hybrid 430 horsepower, one of the most powerful cars in the lineup. he The 2023 model averages about 25 miles per gallon That compares to 21 mpg for a conventional F-150 with the same engine, according to the EPA.

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