During the Bernstein Strategic Decisions conference, Ford CEO Jim Farley commented on the upcoming market launch of battery-powered electric cars, proposed for values close to $25,000, about 23,300 euros. The director of the North American giant guarantees that the price reduction will be possible thanks, above all, to the cut in the cost of batteries, but he foresees that these More affordable trams will cause a price war. For Ford, these models should be 100% commercialized online and therefore will have Fixed prices.
Even the cheapest version of the current Mustang Mach-E, which sells for about $45,000 in the US and is equipped with only a 269-hp motor and a standard 76-kWh battery, costs about $18,000 on the battery, he said. Jim Farley, noting that this represents 40% of the total price of the vehicle. Ford believes that the increase in battery production volume, which traditionally drives down unit cost, associated with new technology solutions and new chemistry, will soon result in cheaper batteries.
At the same time, Ford is working on evolving platforms to lower production costs. The goal is to create chassis with larger parts, which ensure “less jobs, 50% less welding and 20% less screwing, which will radically change mass production”. These platforms made up of larger parts are now facilitated by the latest sheet steel stamping equipment, but above all by the new Idra “mega cast”, as Tesla already uses and which allow the entire front area of the chassis to be made. with one piece. , instead of the previous 70. Farley did not reveal how he will achieve the reduction he wants.
The Model 2, for $25,000, could arrive in 2023
The CEO also did not announce when it will be possible to acquire the electric Ford for $25,000, but other brands have already revealed their intention to offer battery-powered vehicles at a more competitive price. Tesla, for example, announced that it intends to offer a hypothetical Model 2 for $25,000, while the Volkswagen Group intends to lead the supply of electric models in Europe, promising three models for about 20,000 euros soon, with emblems of VW, Seat and Skoda.
So are the VW, Skoda and Cupra trams for €20,000
In the North American market, a conventional 100% electric model is already being offered for around US$25,000, more precisely US$26,595. This is the Chevrolet Bolt EV, equipped with a 204 hp engine and a 65 kWh capacity battery, which guarantees a range of 417 km in EPA, and something more if it were approved in the European WLTP system. The aforementioned price was only possible because Chevrolet reduced the value of the Bolt EV in the US by $5,900.
Source: Observadora
