Ford Busts Up EV Myths Ahead of Mustang-inspired SUV Launch
New survey finds only 19% would trust an EV in the snow, 13% would opt for an EV over a gas or diesel vehicle for towing.
There’s a change in the air, one involving electric vehicles making deep inroads into our lives. We do have Tesla to thank, of course, for breaking open the EV market for everyone else to, eventually, best Elon Musk’s beloved child. Thanks to the California company, everyone from Nissan to Porsche is throwing down for the cause.
Ford, too, is ready to make big waves in the growing market, especially with the upcoming all-electric F-150 and a Mustang-inspired electric SUV. However, it would appear few of its customers are as ready to make the leap, based on a recent survey of 3,000 consumers in the United States, Europe, and China.
According to the survey, only 19% of Americans would trust any EV in the dead of winter, 28% would leap into an EV in an emergency, 18% believe EVs are faster than gas, and 13% would use an EV to tow anything over a gas or diesel model. That doesn’t look good for any automaker entering the electric game, but Ford is looking to counter the issue with a series of videos dedicated to busting the myths most Americans hold about the EV.
“A lot of companies, ourselves included, focused their initial electrification efforts on adhering to regulatory requirements,” said Ford electrification boss Ted Cannis. “The cost of batteries was high, the price of developing new vehicle platforms was higher, and the necessary charging infrastructure to make it easy on customers simply didn’t exist. But that’s all changing fast.”
One of the above videos demonstrates how Ford is changing these perceptions, presenting engineers driving virtual EVs in a simulator before heading out to the track to test the prototype at Michigan’s Grattan Raceway. As one unnamed member of the team says, “We want to ensure we have that driving fun in the vehicle, and freedom on the track.”
As far as towing goes, we can’t forget the electric F-150 pulling 1,000 feet of rail cars and 42 F-150s in a railyard a few weeks ago. And if that isn’t tough enough, the prototype SUV handled the harsh Michigan winters at Smithers Winter Test Center like a champ.
“Electrification doesn’t have to be about compromise,” said Cannis, “and it won’t be at Ford. We can deliver vehicles that are electric, thrilling and tough all at the same time. And that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”
Photos and Video: Ford
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