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The automaker said it would delay the arrival of new battery-powered models and hybrid cars, which are being developed rapidly.
By Neal E. Boudette
Ford Motor Co on Thursday delayed planned production of at least two new electric cars and said it would make more hybrid vehicles. The move is the latest sign that major automakers have been forced to rethink their EV strategy as sales of those models slow.
The upgrade, of course, through Ford and automakers like General Motors and Mercedes-Benz, which have also backtracked on their EV plans, has been largely driven by companies’ struggles to make and sell enough EVs and do so profitably.
Sales of those cars continue to grow, but the speed has slowed dramatically in recent months as automakers have appealed to many early adopters willing to spend more than $50,000 on a new battery-powered car. Because they’re still learning how to make cars and their batteries cheaply, companies haven’t wanted to offer more affordable models.
“A lot of corporations rushed too much with overpriced electric cars and there wasn’t as much of a market for them as they thought,” said Sam Abuelsamid, senior transportation and mobility analyst at research firm Guidehouse Insights. “This has made it a lot more complicated to sell those cars. “
Some consumers are also reluctant to buy electric models because they can’t rate their cars at home or because they’re worried that there are enough public raters when they need to drive more than a few hundred miles.
Many car buyers interested in electric cars prefer hybrid cars, which can charge only a few hundred dollars more than comparable gasoline-powered models and, in some cases, offer much better fuel economy. It’s also less difficult for consumers to get used to those cars because they don’t want to be plugged in and they work like traditional models.
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