Citing battery costs and slow sales, Ford is slowing production of its electrified trucks such as the pictured F150 plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV). Despite promising sales figures in sedans and passenger vehicles, the demand for electrified trucks has not been as expected.
Ford says that strategies that improve their gasoline and diesel vehicles are paying off better for trucks in terms of fuel economy and sales, since the prices are lower because costs are as well. Lightening the weight of trucks and vans through better materials and smaller engines putting out the same power, such as the new EcoBoost line, are pushing sales and making hybrids and electrics with their price premiums seem not as desirable for many fleets and consumers.
Ford still plans to go ahead with electrification research and development, however, and a recent partnership with Toyota to develop hybrid trucks and SUVs will continue, putting new vehicles on the road by the end of the decade. Market estimates put hybrid vehicles in the 15-25% of market share by 2020.



April 23rd, 2012
Aaron Turpen 

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Demand for electric and hybrid vehicles is still quite low, representing just 3 percent of all new vehicles sold. I think the 15 to 25 percent figure for 2020 is a bit ambitious as today’s gasoline engines are much more efficient and the extra cost of EVs is a turn off.
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I would mostly agree with you. I think hybrids and pure electrics will do fairly well because of their benefits to the bottom line in certain situations, but I’m also dubious about a 25% figure in only 7 years.