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Ford Loses $44,000 on Every EV Sells as It Switches to Hybrids
- Bostonian 2y agoRelated article: Ford Wants To Build Hybrids Instead of All-Electric Cars. The EPA Hates That. The automaker is choosing to prioritize hybrids, which are more popular and provide a better option for many motorists. But the EPA only foresees a minor role for hybrids. https://reason.com/2024/08/23/ford-wants-to-build-hybrids-instead-of-all-electric-cars-the-epa-hates-that/ https://reason.com/2024/08/23/ford-wants-to-build-hybrids-in...
- eecc 2y agoHybrids aren't more popular, they're just more convenient for automakers: all that cost sunken into mechanical R&D can't just be written off without bankrupting them (again.) It's just incumbents gasping for their last breaths.
- JohnFen 2y agoIf you want something electric, hybrids are the only practical option for a very large number of people in the US.
- taylodl 2y agoIs there demand for hybrids outside of North America? I think hybrids are the worst approach - I still have an ICE engine to maintain, I have a battery that needs proper care and feeding, and I have a much more complex drivetrain. I also have a dependence on oil, so I'm subject to the geopolitics that goes with that.
- Ekaros 2y agoIf they are not that much more expensive and are somewhat more fuel efficient it is not bad combination. Hybrids do make sense if the efficiency gains are larger than price increase and maintenance is not hugely more expensive.
- ZeroGravitas 2y agoExtended Range Electric Vehicles are a big thing in China. Basically starting with an EV and adding a small petrol engine to recharge it on the go, rather than starting with an ICE and adding batteries and motors.
- taylodl 2y agoThis is what I'm interested in. If I'm going to have a petrol engine at all, I only want it to charge the battery. I don't want it being part of the drivetrain.
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- johng 2y agoWhat works in other countries doesn't necessarily work in ours. The US is huge. We are spread out. We are rural. It's like the argument over Taiwan having much faster internet connections for every customer vs. ours.... but in a much denser country.
- Arnt 2y agoSomeone on HN wrote that 96% of gas in the US is burned in urban driving and 4% in rural. I assume it means that people in LA have longer commutes than ones in rural Minnesota.