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.
I get 45-55 in the hybrid (mostly city / suburbs) and about 42 highway/combined (during winter it’s more like 36 mpg regardless). Does the extra battery weight reduce overall MPG that much? I don’t drive like an old man, lol, but I do make heavy use of regen braking.
I’ve been looking to either trade in for or just buy an Energi model, but the closest I can find them is about 250 miles away. Sadly, haven’t seen any closer than that since I bought this one.
I absolutely love my fusion hybrid. Hoping it lasts 20 years
Oh God no, 35mpg is just how the epa rates them. I usually get high 40s low 50s highway and 60ish in the city when the energi battery is empty. The only negative is lost trunk space, and even with the battery hump I can still fit my ebike in the back with the seats folded down.
When I bought it, I got lucky and found a low mileage one just off lease in my town. They even had a non energi with similar mileage, but it was only $500 cheaper. You might try carvana, they’ll ship the car to a location near you, for a fee of course.