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...In 2021, Ford and Rivian parted ways commercially, though not financially, with Ford deciding to make an electric version of its bestselling F-150 pick-up truck....
...Ford’s hyped F-150 electric truck has secured 120,000 orders and its Mustang Mach-E is the second-best selling electric SUV in America....
...Ford is heavily marketing the F-150 Lightning to commercial customers, who often are more focused on a vehicle’s maintenance and fuelling costs rather than the sticker price alone....
...Vehicles are still rolling out at River Rouge, where the Dearborn truck plant produces the hugely profitable F-150 pick-up truck....
...Ford, for instance, will use the Beijing Expo to launch its F-150 Raptor in China, a popular pick-up truck in the US, as part of efforts to “inspire a generation of off-road enthusiasts,” says John Lawler...
...US sales are being helped by cheap fuel, low interest rates and a rising economy — and Ford is further benefiting from a fresh line-up of products....
...Total sales were up by a fifth at Chrysler, 6 per cent at General Motors and slightly down at Ford (which was expected, as it is slowly increasing the availability of the new F-150 and Mustang)....
...The figures from Ford beat Wall Street expectations, as the carmaker retooled plants ahead of the introduction of its redesigned F-150 pickup truck, which has accounted for nearly 30 per cent of the company...
...F-150 pick-up truck rolled off the production line, writes Robert Wright in New York....
...This switch in materials trimmed 700lbs — 13 per cent — from the vehicle’s weight, slashing fuel consumption by between 5 and 22 per cent compared with previous F-150s depending on the model type....
...The R&D push will be visible in launches of new vehicles such as Ford’s next-generation F-150 pick-up truck, boasting an ultra-lightweight aluminium body, more efficient engine, and radars, cameras and...
...In addition, Ken Czubay, Ford’s North American marketing chief, said that improved fuel-consumption technology has brought buyers back to pickups and SUVs....
...“With oil nearing $100 per barrel and gasoline prices continuing to rise, consumers’ consideration for fuel economy once again is taking top billing,” said Ken Czubay, Ford’s vice-president of US marketing...
...During the credit crunch, for example, as US fuel prices spiked, Ford noticed buyers of its F-Series truck trading down to cars such as the Focus....
...nonsense in a country where low petrol taxes meant, at least until oil prices spiked, they couldn’t roll F-150 trucks or Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs off their assembly lines fast enough....
...Ford Motor said last week it was delaying the launch of its latest F-150 pick-up for two months to allow dealers to clear inventories of the current model....
...Whatever his previous background, Chrysler’s boss speaks knowledgeably about such matters as improved coil springs on the new Ram and how its finish compares with Ford’s F-150....
...Thus freed, General Motors and Ford have directed their energy and talent into selling highly profitable – and highly inefficient – sports utility vehicles and light trucks....
...Ford's F-Series, General Motors' Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, and the Dodge Ram, made by DaimlerChrysler's Chrysler division, made up 88 per cent of October sales....
...SUVs and trucks now make up more than two-thirds of Ford’s sales volumes. That strategy paid off handsomely for a while....
...refined, passenger car-like exterior fits and finishes, better ride and handling, and better fuel economy....
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