Ford hints at second EV ute

Ford CEO Jim Farley has told Automotive News that the company plans to build an additional electric pick-up model at its Blue Oval City facility in Tennessee.

Speaking to the publication following the launch of the F-150 Lightning, Mr Farley said the upcoming model was part of the Detroit-based firm’s plans to produce more than 600,000 electric vehicles globally over the next two years… in doing so, the Blue Oval would become the second-biggest producer of BEVs behind Tesla.

“It’s another truck. This (the F-150 Lightning) is not our only truck. We said very clearly, we want to be the leader in electric pickup trucks,” he said, emphasising the word trucks.

The new Tennessee plant is expected to come online next year and will enable Ford to increase capacity of its F-150 Lightning, of which it has built about 2000 examples since production began at the company’s Rouge Electric Vehicle Centre a fortnight ago. That facility can produce as many as 150,000 examples of the F-150 Lightning per annum.

Mr Farley said the initial consignment of electric F Trucks would be delivered to fleet buyers. He even used the opportunity to throw some shade at Ford’s rivals by adding, “the ride is so smooth you’d swear you were in a Lincoln” and mentioned the F-150 Lightning “can charge other EVs, (that’s for the benefit of) your friends who own Teslas”.

Despite the optimism of Mr Farley, Ford admits that F-150 Lightning customers may be waiting some time for delivery of their new ute. The manufacturer recently closed the order books on its MY22 model, leaving many customers without a build date.

“The good news is there’s tremendous demand for our products, but it is frustrating that we can’t build them in a timely fashion,” a spokesperson for the company was quoted as saying.

“Our team has done a great job of breaking bottlenecks, but then new ones pop up –that’s just the world we’re in, unfortunately. We don’t want to lose those customers; we don’t want them to walk away, so we’re doing everything we can to accommodate them.”

And while Ford grapples with its Stateside capacity issues, it seems commercial vehicle partner Volkswagen is making its own headway with a zero-emissions pick-up truck.

According to an article published by UK magazine Autocar this week, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is working on an all-electric utility, the Wolfsburg-based brand says may be ready for production by the middle of this decade and will rival models such as the Rivian R1T and (delayed) Tesla Cybertruck.

Through its Global Alliance with Ford, Volkswagen has developed “more than conventional petrol and diesel versions of the second-generation Amarok”, the publication says… Autocar’s conversation with Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle board member responsible for marketing, Lars Krause, provided new details of a battery-electric Amarok and Ranger within the vehicle’s current lifecycle.

“We’re looking at a pure electric version,” Mr Krause told Autocar. “It’s still early, but it’s something we’re considering within the lifecycle (of the current model).

“Right now, we’re not satisfied with the electric range of the plug-in hybrid. I’d never say never, but we’re looking more towards a full electric version.”

Mr Krause added he was confident the T6 chassis, which underpins the second-gen Amarok and fourth-generation Ranger, would be compatible with a battery-electric driveline and battery pack.

“We think it’s possible. Obviously, we’d need to modify certain elements. But yes, we’re seriously considering an electric variant,” he said.

Volkswagen made the decision not to offer the second-generation Amarok with a petrol-electric hybrid drivetrain despite growing calls for such a model with the EU. It’s believed the jump to an all-electric version will make sense in regions where emissions-based road taxes severely penalise petrol- and diesel-powered variants, Autocar says.

While the German manufacturer – or indeed Ford – has yet to officially confirm production of a battery-electric Amarok or Ranger, the most recent comments from Mr Farley and Mr Krause certainly prove there’s a willingness from both parties to make it happen. The only question that remains is “When?”