Ford VP Disses Cybertruck, Calling Electric F-150 a "Real" Work Truck

[CappyJax]

Putting the trailer's load slightly forward of the rear axle is far better for towing heavy loads, in terms of balancing the tow vehicle.

This is the whole reason tractor trailers exist, and why they are built the way they are. Bumper pull vehicles have limitations.

It would be perfectly reasonable for Tesla to tell us that the CT is only designed for bumper-pull applications and leave it at that. Looking at the design of the truck, I think that's likely.

Tesla is trying to break the mold of what a pickup truck is, not re-create a regular body-on-frame pick up truck. Ford and GM will re-create the classic design better than Tesla can, because they've been doing for decades and understand that customer. Inventing a new pickup truck category is much better move, which is why Tesla is doing that instead.

Weight distributing hitches and a hitch that projects the pivot point can make a bumper hitch work very much like a FW/GN.

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[DMC-81]

 

[Newton]

All I got to say is... More fast charging stations. It's a TOP reason tesla is highest on the list.

 

[Idaho_7]

Cybertruck has the capability, the price, the ability to rapidly adapt to market demands.

Unmatched is it’s autonomous capability.
The Competition may be able to, “Buy In” to this. Yet, otherwise Tesla’s advantage on “autonomous“ will catapult them to the top in sales to the Consumer, the Commercial fleets, and to the Robo endeavors consumers.

 

[BillyGee]

Oh come on, don’t you like that teaser front end?! ?

Oh boy! Lights that look like everything else they've ever made!

/Snore

 

[Dids]

Oh come on, don’t you like that teaser front end?! ?

What are those huge things hanging off of it besides the windshield?

 

[Luke42]

Weight distributing hitches and a hitch that projects the pivot point can make a bumper hitch work very much like a FW/GN.

Weight distribution hitches are useful, but they don't replace a 5th wheel

Exhibit 1: The existence of tractor-trailers. At some weight, that architecture becomes necessary.

The transition weight is a bit higher with a weight distribution hitch, but the tradeoff is that the hitch has to handle both weight AND torsion. But it can help prevent wheelies.

There is every reason why you can choose your rig and tow vehicle to be light enough that a 5th wheel or gooseneck is unnecessary. But the physics of putting the trailer's weight forward of the rear axle is just better -- so using bumper pull comes with tradeoffs.

For the towing I plan to do, bumper pull is sufficient. And my intuition is that the CT will be limited to bumper pull. That tradeoff works for me, but I won't pretend I'm not making a tradeoff here.

 

[Idaho_7]

DMV-81.....That was perfect! Thanks

 

[Cyberman]

What are those huge things hanging off of it besides the windshield?

They're called OBSOLETE

 

[CappyJax]

Weight distribution hitches are useful, but they don't replace a 5th wheel

Exhibit 1: The existence of tractor-trailers. At some weight, that architecture becomes necessary.

The transition weight is a bit higher with a weight distribution hitch, but the tradeoff is that the hitch has to handle both weight AND torsion. But it can help prevent wheelies.

There is every reason why you can choose your rig and tow vehicle to be light enough that a 5th wheel or gooseneck is unnecessary. But the physics of putting the trailer's weight forward of the rear axle is just better -- so using bumper pull comes with tradeoffs.

For the towing I plan to do, bumper pull is sufficient. And my intuition is that the CT will be limited to bumper pull. That tradeoff works for me, but I won't pretend I'm not making a tradeoff here.

Have you never seen doubles or triples? Tractor trailers are built that way for stability, efficiency, maneuverability, and a wider CG envelope. It has nothing to do with weight. You can have all the weight on trailers wheels if you want. A pintle hitch can tow 60,000 pounds.

The max capacity of a Cybertruck is 14,000 pounds, and they make bumper pull hitches up to 20,000 pounds. As long as the vehicle can take that tongue weight, you can pull it. And with a pivot point projection hitch with weight distribution, it will tow as well as a FW/GN. The only think you lose is some maneuverability.

 

[Idaho_7]

I just saw this video of the new Ford F-150 EV. I noticed in the video wheee it says to avoid water above the hubs. Really? Buy a Ford and avoid any water puddles?

Boy, that's a Fish Killer, what a shock!

 

[Frank W]

Agree with you there!

 

[Suskis]

Ford has more debt than my country (Italy). They started caring about electric veichles 1 year ago and suddenly they can dish out top notch products?

 

[GNRgRocks!]

These guys are so funny...


Ford VP Disses Cybertruck, Calling Electric F-150 a "Real" Work Truck


The Shade

A Ford executive just threw some serious shade at the automaker’s competition.

During a media briefing this Wednesday, Ford’s president of the Americas and international markets Kumar Galhotra said that Ford’s upcoming all-electric F-150 pickup truck will be a “real” work truck” — not a “lifestyle” truck like Tesla’s upcoming Cybertruck or GMC’s Hummer EV, Teslarati reports.

“While all other electric pickups are competing for lifestyle customers, the all-electric F-150 is designed and engineered for hard-working customers that need a truck to do a job,” Galhotra noted, as quoted by CNBC.


F Zero

Ford’s F-Series trucks have been the United States’ bestselling pickups for over 40 years. In 2019 alone, Ford sold almost 900,000 of them.

The F-150’s electric variant is due to roll off the lot in mid-2022, cutting maintenance costs by half compared to its gas-guzzling cousins, according to Galhotra.


Hot Market

The electric pickup market is heating up. Tesla is planning to deliver the first Cybertrucks in late 2021. General Motors is hoping to be cranking out its recently announced electric Hummer pickup and SUV around the same time.

As to who has the more powerful and capable truck, that’s still unclear. Tesla’s Cybertruck famously took on a $30,000 Ford F-150 in a tug of war in November 2019.


The same day, Sunny Madra, VP of Ford X, the U.S. automotive giant’s ventures incubator, called it an unfair fight, challenging Tesla to an “apples-to-apples test.”


READ MORE: Ford throws shade at Tesla and GM, says F-150 EV will be a ‘real’ work truck [Teslarati]

More on the beef: Ford VP Calls Out Tesla for Unfair Cybertruck vs. F-150 Battle

Built Ford Tough not!!! Those truck boxes are tin. Such a waste.

 

[Idaho_7]

I just saw this video of the new Ford F-150 EV. I noticed in the video wheee it says to avoid water above the hubs. Really? Buy a Ford and avoid any water puddles?

Boat Launching could be an interesting endeavor......