Ford Claims It Will Have A “Mannequin T Second” On August 11, 2025

Throughout a second quarter earnings name on July 30, Ford CEO Jim Farley named August 11, 2025 because the date when the corporate would take the wraps off its newest plan to develop into a pacesetter of the EV revolution. CleanTechnica readers will recall that final yr, Farley introduced he had been driving a Xiaomi SU7 for six months and the automobile was so good, he didn’t wish to give it up.

In line with the Detroit Free Press, Farley and an govt management group from Ford went to China earlier this yr to review how Chinese language auto corporations function. The teachings realized from that have at the moment are being utilized all through the corporate because it adjusts its advertising plans for the US and different nations.

“On August 11, that can be a giant day for all of us at Ford,” Farley stated on the July 30 name. “We can be in Kentucky to share extra about our plans to design and construct a breakthrough electrical automobile and a platform within the US. This can be a Mannequin-T second for us at Ford. An opportunity to carry a brand new household of autos to the world that provide unimaginable know-how, effectivity, area, and options.”

The important thing to the brand new advertising plan is to make manufacturing and promoting electrical autos worthwhile. Till now, Ford has been shedding cash each quarter in its EV division, identified formally as Mannequin e. Within the second quarter of this yr, the corporate posted a loss for the Mannequin e division of $1.3 billion, which was barely greater than it misplaced in the identical quarter final yr.

Ford was quick out of the gate with its F-150 Lightning battery-electric pickup truck, electrical Mustang Mach-E, and the E-Transit cargo van within the US, however has not introduced any new EVs to market in North America currently. Crosstown rival, Basic Motors, has introduced the Cadillac Lyric, Otiq, Vistique, and Escalade IQ to market since then and Chevrolet is now promoting the Blazer EV, Equinox EV, and Silverado EV. GMC additionally has the excessive Hummer EV as effectively.

Small, Reasonably priced Electrical Automobile From Ford

Farley stated throughout the July 30 earnings name that Ford now believes the EV market is most fitted to small electrical autos designed for city commuting. In the course of the previous three years, whereas gross sales of its present EVs have floundered, a group of engineers on the firm’s so-called Skunkworks in California has been busy creating a brand new structure that may enable Ford to provide inexpensive small EVs that may really be worthwhile.

In line with TechCrunch, that group is lead by former Tesla govt Alan Clark and consists of different gifted people recruited from Tesla, Rivian, Apple, and Lucid Motors. Till now, Ford has been obscure about what kind of autos the group is designing, however TechCrunch experiences the primary automobile to make use of the brand new platform can be a midsize electrical pickup truck, which is scheduled to be in showrooms in 2027.

In an echo of the advertising technique on the now defunct Canoo, Farley suggests the brand new platform might assist plenty of “high hats” — automobile our bodies that would included sedans, SUVs, or crossovers that every one share the identical underpinnings. We now have been listening to about this technique for the reason that early days of Faraday Future. Maybe the thought will quickly be prepared for prime time? The corporate has instructed the brand new autos, no matter they’re, will characteristic “personalised digital experiences.”

“We actually see, not the worldwide (automakers) as our aggressive set for our subsequent era of EVs, we see the Chinese language. Corporations like Geely, BYD,” Farley stated. “That’s how we constructed our automobile. How we’ve engineered what sort of provide chain we’ve used and the form of low content material in our manufacturing.”

The large announcement on August 11 will happen on the Ford meeting plant in Louisville, Kentucky. Throughout contract negotiations with the UAW in 2023, either side stated that they had struck a deal that may put that manufacturing facility “actually on the middle of the universe for EV manufacturing and EV innovation,” the Courier Journal reported on the time. Ford agreed to take a position $1.2 billion in that manufacturing facility so it could be capable to produce an “all-new EV product.”

Ford Bets On LFP Batteries

Farley instructed buyers final week that its new battery manufacturing facility in Marshall, Michigan, is essential to its EV plans. “It’s a giant benefit for the corporate. We’re the primary one to construct LFP batteries at scale. It additionally has a manufacturing tax credit score and we’re grateful that Congress upheld that. That’s a key a part of our profitability street map to transition to those lower-cost batteries. Can’t wait to indicate you the product and the platform, so keep tuned,” he stated.

What he didn’t say is that the Marshall, Michigan, battery manufacturing facility will use know-how supplied by CATL, the most important battery producer on the planet. That’s the excellent news. The unhealthy information is that CATL is a Chinese language firm and Chinese language corporations are personae non grata within the US of A in the mean time.

Simply this week, Tesla introduced it was transitioning away from utilizing LFP batteries equipped by CATL to batteries manufactured by LG Vitality Resolution, partly to keep away from the wrath of the MAGAlomaniacs at the moment operating the present in Washington, DC. Ford has each cause to downplay its affiliation with CATL as harmful political crosscurrents roil extra industries within the US at present.

Managing Market Turmoil

Farley stated that market turmoil attributable to shifting shopper calls for and authorities laws over the previous three years — the Inflation Discount Act solely got here into existence three years in the past this month — have led the corporate to rethink its total advertising plans throughout that point interval. As a part of its new EV technique, Ford will supply only some “high hats” and alter its timing to be in market segments “the place we will really earn cash on EVs.”

However the firm is taking an “all the above” strategy, which implies it can supply plenty of powertrain selections, together with prolonged vary electrical autos, partial zero emissions autos, and a full vary of hybrids throughout its total lineup. “We predict that’s a a lot better transfer than a $60,000 to $70,000 all-electric crossover,” Farley stated. “We predict it’s actually what clients are going to need long run and we’re investing so much in additional sturdy inside combustion engine powertrains.”

“We’ve positively moved out launches, we’ve canceled some merchandise, we’ve made the appropriate selections by way of battery chemistry change, like our LFP in Michigan. I feel we’re very effectively positioned for the truth of the EV market with the purchasers at present,” Farley stated. The brand new technique is anticipated to offer Ford flexibility to adapt to the market forces with out having to decide to multi-year product cycles on a full line of EVs.

Radical Re-Engineering

“Ours EVs are popping out within the subsequent yr or two,” Farley stated. “So that you’re going to see quite a lot of information out from Ford on our EVs. Our technique’s quite simple: We consider the one method to actually compete successfully with the Chinese language, over the globe on EVs, is to go and actually push ourselves to radically re-engineer and rework our engineering, provide chain, and manufacturing course of.”

That’s fascinating. US and European automakers taught the Chinese language the right way to manufacture cars, then the Chinese language found out the right way to beat them at their very own recreation. Now the Chinese language are returning the favor by educating the US and Europeans the right way to construct vehicles within the twenty first century, which implies electrical and plug-in hybrid autos. The standard corporations thought they had been the shizznit however they received caught napping when the Chinese language modified the sport from inside combustion to battery electrical powertrains.

“It is best to anticipate from Ford in these different areas, the place electrification is essential, to accomplice the place we have to,” Farley stated. “We now have a very good technique. I’m very grateful that we moved quick as a result of we realized in regards to the market altering possibly earlier than our opponents and we will reload our capital and have the appropriate planning for this new actuality of EVs.”

Prayers & Guarantees

These are very encouraging phrases, however will Ford get its sums proper going ahead? A “Mannequin T second” is a daring prediction. Now to see if Farley and Ford can ship on that declare. Will we be amazed on August 11? Among the many cognoscenti at CleanTechnica international headquarters, the temper is hopeful, however tinged with a dollop of doubt as as to if Ford can really beat the Chinese language at their very own recreation.

It’s one factor to succeed when the opposition is excluded by tariffs and commerce limitations; it’s fairly one other to take action on a stage enjoying area. Farley is fairly good at being the general public face of a serious US automaker, however now he’s promising a giant step ahead for the corporate. Till August 11, the jury remains to be out on whether or not he can ship on the guarantees he’s making.