Green Honesty: Why Heavy EV Batteries? "I have no idea" - Ford CEO

An auto CEO came very close to saying the right thing about heavy EV batteries

The race to cram heavier and heavier batteries into bigger and bigger electric vehicles hit a speed bump today when a major automaker CEO finally threw up his hands when asked why.

“I have no idea what’s going on in this industry right now,” Ford CEO Jim Farley said.

Higher ranges will necessitate bigger batteries, he noted, adding, “These batteries are huge.”

Farley is right. US automakers are relying on supersized batteries to power their equally supersized EVs — namely, all the electric trucks that will soon flood the US market. And big trucks need big batteries to get big range.

Bigger batteries, longer range, heavier trucks... this is not sustainable.

Heavier vehicles are deadlier, too. When a pedestrian or cyclist is struck by a vehicle the size and weight of a Ram 1500 REV or Hummer EV, they are more likely to die.

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

Last I checked, mass multiplied by velocity equals momentum. Basic physics. The heavier the vehicle, the more likely it is to kill you when it hits you.

Heavier batteries are also more expensive to manufacture.

“If you have those kinds of batteries, you will not make money,” Farley said.

William Ford Junior admitted the $40,000 F-150 'lightning' (pictured) is the equivalent of 'betting the company' and if it flops it could 'tarnish the entire franchise'

an all-electric F-150 Lightning 

Labor's National Electric Vehicle Strategy (or NEVS) ignores the fact that Australia's biggest sellers are utes - and there are barely any EV utes on the market worldwide, never mind in Australia

"ute" is Aussie for "pickup truck" or something similar :)

Australian company ACE has been developing its Yewt ute (pictured) for several years but it has limited capabilities and is more suited to light deliveries than heavy-duty tradie work

"tradie is Aussie for skilled workman, such as in construction, or something like that :)

The trusty tradie's workhorse, the Toyota HiLux (pictured), has been Australia biggest-selling vehicle since 2016 

TESLA CYBERTRUCK

The sharp-angled Cybertruck may struggle to meet Australian safety standards - if Elon Musk ever gets round to actually putting it into production. It's been in the pipeline since 2019 and is in danger of being branded vaporware unless it comes to market soon. Pre-order options have been removed from the Australian Tesla website, but there is speculation a smaller redesigned version may - one day - be available outside the US.

The sharp-angled Tesla Cybertruck (pictured) may struggle to meet Australian safety standards - if it ever goes into production

FORD F150 LIGHTNING

The massive F150 has been transformed into an all-electric behemoth in the US, but is unlikely to be converted to right-hand drive and shipped to Australia, say insiders. It's only just gone on sale outside of the USA for the first time, in left-hand drive Norway where EV take-up is the highest in the world and 80 per cent of all new vehicles are electric. Incredibly though, despite its huge size - 2.5m wide, 2m high and almost 6m long - the Lightning can only carry a 1050kg payload.

The massive Ford F150 Lightning  - 2.5m wide, 2m high and almost 6m long - is unlikely to be converted to right-hand drive and shipped over here, say insiders

GMC HUMMER EV

Huge EV, huge cost - with a $160,000 sticker price in the US for the  top of the range, three-motor version which can catapult well-heeled tradies up to 100km/h in three seconds, with exceptional off-road capabilities. But that price tag means the market for it is small - and probably far too niche to make it worthwhile to convert to a right hand drive for Australia.

The GMC Hummer EV comes with a $160,000 sticker price in the US for the top of the range model with a 0-100km/h time of just three seconds, close to Formula One pace

RIVIAN R1T

Most likely to be seen soon on Australian roads, this joint venture backed by Ford and Amazon already has a right-hand drive version and is tipped to arrive Down Under in 2024. It boasts impressive stats, capable of towing almost 5000kg and smashing 0-100km/h in just 3.3 seconds. It's also set to have a hefty price tag though, with its price in the US currently a shade off $100,000.

The Rivian R1T is a joint venture from Ford and Amazon and already has a right hand drive version with a model expected to hit Australia in 2024 - but at a high price