Ford’s Secretly Designed Affordable Electric Car

Ford revealed that an isolated and autonomous unit was secretly developing a dedicated low-cost electric vehicle platform.

During the presentation of Ford’s 2023 financial results, the term “Skunk Works” was mentioned. Literally translated, it means “Workshop of Skunks” and refers to this small animal hated for its smell but which we cannot help but love like any unloved creature. Especially because a skunk is cute, so we love it… but in secret. This term originated during World War II when the U.S. government asked Lockheed aircraft manufacturer to urgently develop a jet fighter to compete with German aircraft. Against the general opinion favoring piston engines, some brilliant minds, freed from constraints, achieved this feat. The rest is history. Thus, the special projects unit at Lockheed was dubbed “Skunk Works” and has kept this nickname ever since.

Reward for Free Spirit at Ford

This term is therefore used in technical and industrial environments to designate a group enjoying significant autonomy within a large company to work on innovative or secret projects. Mercenaries with free rein to explore domains that inertia within a large corporation would prevent from handling quickly.

This announcement by Ford CEO Jim Farley took everyone by surprise, as he concurrently announced budget cuts for current electric ranges, including the famous F-150 Lightning pickup. According to him, the future of large vehicles, whether utility or not, will be hybrid. However, for light mobility, electric power still makes perfect sense.

The End of Electric Vehicles at All Costs

While Ford Motor Company was limiting its investments in the consumer electric vehicle sector, a small team of engineers quietly developed a dedicated low-cost electric vehicle platform. Farley states that vehicles built on this new generation platform will be profitable within a year after their launch.

A bold move for the American manufacturer, whose “Model e” 100% electric division lost $4.7 billion in 2023, much more than the originally planned $3 billion loss. “Model e” includes, in addition to the F-150 Lightning, the Mustang Mach-e and the Explorer EV launched in Europe this year. Despite clear qualities, none of these models have truly found their audience while Kuga and Puma hybrids sold like hotcakes. Could Ford be making the right choice?