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

[Luke42]

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

Every Ford 4x4 owners manual tells you not to ford water above the wheel hubs.

This language has been in the manual since at least 1998 (the model year of the first Ford pickup I owned), and it looked like decades-old boiler-plate even then.

It's worth reading that whole section of the manual, both for context and because a lot of it is pretty decent advice for someone who just bought their first 4x4.

Ford isn't telling you that you can't put a snorkel on your Bronco and go driving in water up to the steering wheel. What Ford is telling you is that, should you choose to do that, the vehicle becomes entirely your problem -- not theirs.

Also, moving water deep enough to submerge the wheel hubs can really fuck you up. I drove across a flooded bridge once, and I would advise everyone else to NOT do that. I suspect that this part of the manual may exist as an attempt to keep a few of Ford's tens of millions of customers from drowning in floodwaters every year.

Keeping water below the wheel hubs is good advice to follow. If you choose otherwise, Ford's lawyers will jump ship -- and you're on your own!

I don't think boat launching will be a problem for Ford's EVs any more than it already is for their ICE vehicles:

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[TheLastStarfighter]

I realize how much of a cybertruck addict I am when I saw this picture and very briefly my brain said, "wow, that's cool, imagine if they built that". Sigh.

 

[egandalf]

Tesla’s Cybertruck famously took on a $30,000 Ford F-150 in a tug of war in November 2019.

While I agree that this was likely an unfair challenge (4x2 vs 4x4), I haven't seen anything that stated the Ford truck was the cheapest trim level. Seems more like someone has a bone they're picking here.

Re: 5th wheel - I think the need for flat rails will depend on the specific trailer. I think the CT will work with many, but NOT ALL. A factor anyone will have to take into consideration when buying. That being said, most trucks on the road never get near a 5th wheel.

I live in a rural farming area where trucks per capita would likely be very high. Very many of those trucks are both work and daily driver. Very few of those trucks pull any sort of 5th wheel. The farmers I know own 2 trucks. One specifically for the farm (often a 1-ton) and one for most everything else. Hauling lighter loads, daily driver, etc.

Mine is likely to be the first and only CT in town and I can't wait to show it off.

 

[Cebliminal]

I believe ford Is right. The f-150 is the true work horse the Ice version and will remain so. I believe anyone buying a Cybertruck as a true workhorse is going to be disappointed. Can you imagine hooking up a large piece of equipment tractor, bulldozer and not being able to reach your destination because of charge and have to charge with that attached or have to drop it to charge. It is a work horse but in a long distance tow ford will win with a full tank of gas to a full charge. I’m buy a cybertruck but as a sports High performance pickup I might carry an ATV or a motorcycle or groceries. This is why I won’t give up my ICE VEHICLES to get hard work done like pulling trailers. I’m ok with it. but construction works and contractors won’t be I’m sure

 

[Frank W]

A F-150 isn’t going to be hooking up to a big piece of equipment such as a tractor or bulldozer either and the Cybertruck isn’t designed for that type of hauling either. I think that the CT is designed to compete with the F-150 which is great and the CT IMO will absolutely be a great work truck.

 

[BillyGee]

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?

They've been pretending to care about EVs since the 90s. I remember a video special on local news about an electric car and they were making a huge deal about it but then I never heard about them again.

 

[Rockvillerich]

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

An electric F-150 would be fine for a conventional pick-up, if Ford is even in business long enough to produce them. I'll take the stainless Cybertruck that won't be rusting out like the Ford I driving now thank you very much. Over the air updates, the charging network, and the potential for full self driving are just some nice touches to sweeten the deal.

 

[cyberhunter]

Thanks for the vids! The dude smoking his cig in a speedo made me spit on my computer screen

 

[Frank W]

It will be interesting to hear WHAT Ford will have regarding over the air updates since he mentioned that.

 

[SONNYDUT]

Elon compared the CT vs the ICE F150 not with other EV. Why are other EV manufacturer want to compete with Tesla. They are having the wrong ideal. Tesla is working to sustainable future with EV replacing ICE cars.

 

[Cebliminal]

A F-150 isn’t going to be hooking up to a big piece of equipment such as a tractor or bulldozer either and the Cybertruck isn’t designed for that type of hauling either. I think that the CT is designed to compete with the F-150 which is great and the CT IMO will absolutely be a great work truck.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...=Nvofod6Nq2Y&usg=AOvVaw1l9wKwDWymmsQ98b8Mo2sg

 

[Luke42]

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwib38O7x_vrAhVOiFkKHdt5CosQwqsBMAJ6BAgTEBE&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nvofod6Nq2Y&usg=AOvVaw1l9wKwDWymmsQ98b8Mo2sg

That's a compact four wheel drive tractor.

I drove one of those on my dad's small farm as a teenager. The loader becomes like a bionic arm if you drive it enough, and it's one of the most versatile pieces of equipment we had.

But it's pretty small compared to a bulldozer.

 

[jerhenderson]

I believe ford Is right. The f-150 is the true work horse the Ice version and will remain so. I believe anyone buying a Cybertruck as a true workhorse is going to be disappointed. Can you imagine hooking up a large piece of equipment tractor, bulldozer and not being able to reach your destination because of charge and have to charge with that attached or have to drop it to charge. It is a work horse but in a long distance tow ford will win with a full tank of gas to a full charge. I’m buy a cybertruck but as a sports High performance pickup I might carry an ATV or a motorcycle or groceries. This is why I won’t give up my ICE VEHICLES to get hard work done like pulling trailers. I’m ok with it. but construction works and contractors won’t be I’m sure

when you're referring to towing a bulldozer I'm thinking you've confused the market the CT is going for..... the F150....not the 250 or 350. The CT will be a great work truck for municipalities and their fleets, as well as normal contractors like plumbers and electricians.

 

[BigE]

Ford is in panic mode when it comes to the F Series trucks. Ford makes almost all of the companies profits from these trucks. They also make huge profits from the high end trucks (Platinum/King Ranchers, etc). So if Tesla & say Rivian take away the luxury high end buyers, it could have significant impact on Ford survival. I my opinion, that’s why the war of words from Ford. I think they see this as life or death for the company.

 

[Idaho_7]

Ford is in panic mode when it comes to the F Series trucks. Ford makes almost all of the companies profits from these trucks. They also make huge profits from the high end trucks (Platinum/King Ranchers, etc). So if Tesla & say Rivian take away the luxury high end buyers, it could have significant impact on Ford survival. I my opinion, that’s why the war of words from Ford. I think they see this as life or death for the company.

You make a good point. Many of us have held off our purchases of replacement pickups already for a year and now another year or two before the CT arrives. This must be on the radar somewhere.