Just a quick note to say thank you to all those who reached out to me regarding the letter I wrote to Ford CEO Jim Farley. I have written many, many things through the years, and I will say that I have never been given such a response from people. I expected some pushback from some, it always happens, but this time, it was less than a handful of people. The outpouring from listeners, newsletter subscribers, followers on social media, friends in the auto industry, and the big surprise: current and former employees of Ford Motor Company, was tremendous and gratifying.
Will anything come from the letter? I am not sure. The good news is I learned about the pressure automakers are under to balance the portfolios and continue to do business. Even with that, I wouldn’t change a word of what I wrote. I still believe that those who want an electric vehicle should have that opportunity and they should have great choices.
I also believe that the huge majority, at least for now, that are not ready for an electric, should be the focus of automakers. I still say you can’t force people to buy a vehicle they don’t want. Further, I don’t think the hard-working taxpayers should fund rebates to those who want an EV.
Whether you agree or disagree, this has been a lively conversation since Tesla became a real player in the auto industry, and I’ll always be appreciative to Elon Musk for doing so.
I thank Mark Truby of Ford for getting back to me and I thank Jim Farley for asking him to and saying he was a fan. I had hoped for some sort of response from the CEO of General Motors, but it didn’t happen. I invited Mark and/or Jim to come on my show so you could hear their side of the issue. I hope they will oblige me.
Whether they do or not, the discussion will continue. EVs will continue to evolve, and some electric carmakers will go by the wayside such as Fisker. Likely, over the next 20 years, there will be a mix of different power trains making your car go. Perhaps some that we haven’t even heard of yet. The one thing I know for sure: The love affair between Americans and their cars will continue long after I am gone.
If you missed the audio from last Saturday’s show about the letter to the Ford CEO, you can listen in here:
Thank you for indulging me, and your support of the Car Pro Show and newsletter.
Jerry Reynolds