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Ford's Electric Vehicle Retreat Sparks Debate: Is Tesla the Winner?

MarketDash Editorial Team
13 hours ago
Two prominent investors weigh in on Ford's decision to scale back its EV ambitions, with one suggesting the move could benefit Tesla while the other points to deeper profitability issues at the Detroit automaker.

Ford Motor Co. (F) is pumping the brakes on its electric vehicle push, and two prominent investors have some thoughts about what that means for the company and its competitors.

Munster: Ford's Retreat Is Tesla's Gain

Gene Munster of Deepwater Asset Management thinks the news could be good for Tesla Inc. (TSLA). Writing on X Monday, Munster declared "Ford in full retreat from EVs" and hinted at a bigger problem on the horizon. Building autonomous vehicles from hybrid powertrains is going to be tough, he suggested, which means Ford risks getting left behind in the AV race while competitors move ahead.

Black: The Extension Strategy Doesn't Work

Gary Black, managing director at The Future Fund LLC, took a different angle. He sees Ford's shift to hybrids as "its latest admission" that the Detroit automaker "can't make money by simply launching EV brand extensions" of vehicles that already sell well. Take the F-150 Lightning, for example. The regular F-150 is a cash cow, but slapping a battery pack in it and calling it electric wasn't enough to make the economics work.

Goodbye Lightning, Hello Extended Range

Ford made it official: the F-150 Lightning EV pickup is done. The truck had a good run and was at one point the best-selling electric pickup in America, but that wasn't enough. Instead, the company is pivoting to an Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV), which can deliver up to 700 miles of range. That's a big number, and it suggests Ford thinks drivers want the efficiency without fully committing to pure battery power.

The timing here is interesting. President Donald Trump recently announced relaxed Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards, and Ford CEO Jim Farley celebrated the move. Farley said it would help the company produce American-made products, which sounds nice but also suggests the stricter standards were a headache. Earlier, Farley predicted EV adoption in the U.S. would hit just 5%, which isn't exactly bullish on the electric future.

So what does this all mean? Ford is clearly reassessing its EV strategy in real time. The company scores well on momentum, value, and quality metrics while offering satisfactory growth, but the electric gamble hasn't paid off the way management hoped. Whether pivoting to hybrids and extended-range vehicles is the right move or just kicking the can down the road remains to be seen.

Price Action: F declined 0.80% to $13.65 at market close, but bounced back 1.11% to $13.80 during the after-hours session.

Back to News

Ford's Electric Vehicle Retreat Sparks Debate: Is Tesla the Winner?

MarketDash Editorial Team
13 hours ago
Two prominent investors weigh in on Ford's decision to scale back its EV ambitions, with one suggesting the move could benefit Tesla while the other points to deeper profitability issues at the Detroit automaker.

Ford Motor Co. (F) is pumping the brakes on its electric vehicle push, and two prominent investors have some thoughts about what that means for the company and its competitors.

Munster: Ford's Retreat Is Tesla's Gain

Gene Munster of Deepwater Asset Management thinks the news could be good for Tesla Inc. (TSLA). Writing on X Monday, Munster declared "Ford in full retreat from EVs" and hinted at a bigger problem on the horizon. Building autonomous vehicles from hybrid powertrains is going to be tough, he suggested, which means Ford risks getting left behind in the AV race while competitors move ahead.

Black: The Extension Strategy Doesn't Work

Gary Black, managing director at The Future Fund LLC, took a different angle. He sees Ford's shift to hybrids as "its latest admission" that the Detroit automaker "can't make money by simply launching EV brand extensions" of vehicles that already sell well. Take the F-150 Lightning, for example. The regular F-150 is a cash cow, but slapping a battery pack in it and calling it electric wasn't enough to make the economics work.

Goodbye Lightning, Hello Extended Range

Ford made it official: the F-150 Lightning EV pickup is done. The truck had a good run and was at one point the best-selling electric pickup in America, but that wasn't enough. Instead, the company is pivoting to an Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV), which can deliver up to 700 miles of range. That's a big number, and it suggests Ford thinks drivers want the efficiency without fully committing to pure battery power.

The timing here is interesting. President Donald Trump recently announced relaxed Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards, and Ford CEO Jim Farley celebrated the move. Farley said it would help the company produce American-made products, which sounds nice but also suggests the stricter standards were a headache. Earlier, Farley predicted EV adoption in the U.S. would hit just 5%, which isn't exactly bullish on the electric future.

So what does this all mean? Ford is clearly reassessing its EV strategy in real time. The company scores well on momentum, value, and quality metrics while offering satisfactory growth, but the electric gamble hasn't paid off the way management hoped. Whether pivoting to hybrids and extended-range vehicles is the right move or just kicking the can down the road remains to be seen.

Price Action: F declined 0.80% to $13.65 at market close, but bounced back 1.11% to $13.80 during the after-hours session.