Car Wearing: Ford is creating a separate EV division

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Jeep previews a small EV, Polestar reveals roadster concept, and Ford tests the F-150 Lightning in the snow. But first:

Ford Launches Separate EV and Gas-Engine Divisions

This week Ford revealed that it is splitting up its EV division from its internal-combustion engine division, after weeks of rumors regarding such a move. The EV business unit will be dubbed Model e, while gas- and diesel-engined models will continue to be offered under the Ford Blue division.
The restructuring move is part of the Ford+ plan rolled out in 2021, and the two divisions will exist alongside a third existing unit, Ford Pro, aimed at commercial customers.
"We have made tremendous progress in a short period of time. We have launched a series of hit products globally and demand for our new EVs like F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E is off the charts," Ford President and CEO Jim Farley said. "But our ambition with Ford+ is to become a truly great, world-changing company again, and that requires focus.

https://www.autoweek.com/news/green-cars/a39299492/ford-model-e-electric-cars-business-unit/

The F-150 Lightning is on its way to dealerships later this year.

The automaker says that Model e will use a clean-sheet approach to engineering, technology and design, developing EV platforms, batteries, motors and charging, while Ford Blue focuses on popular internal-combustion engine models.
"We are going all in, creating separate but complementary businesses that give us start-up speed and unbridled innovation in Ford Model e together with Ford Blue's industrial know-how, volume and iconic brands like Bronco, that start-ups can only dream about," Farley added.
Read on to find out how these new divisions will function in the coming years.

Polestar O2 Concept Hints at Our Sleek Future

A new Polestar concept imagines an electric roadster. But could we see a production version anytime soon?

Speaking of EV-only lineups, this week Polestar revealed a dramatic new concept car, and this time it's a roadster. Named the Polestar O2, the model borrows the underpinnings of the Polestar 5 four-door grand tourer we saw just a few weeks ago, while giving its passengers generous views of the sky.
"Polestar O2 is the hero car for our brand," said Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO. "It opens the door to our secret chamber of future potential. This is a taste of what we can design and engineer with the talent and technology we have in-house. It looks incredible, and being able to lower the roof and not hear an engine promises a superb sensation."
How likely are we to see a production version of this concept? Polestar isn't saying for now, but given the ease of introducing new bodystyles on the same EV underpinnings, we'd like to think we'll see a roadster at some point. Polestar just has to tackle a few other segments first.

Stellantis Teases the Upcoming Ram 1500 Full-Size BEV

The folks at Tesla are also still working on their polarizing Cybertruck, which was recently delayed, again. Not to be left out of the conversation, Ram announced it was jumping into the BEV truck fray during the Stellantis EV day last July. Well, Ram now has some new teasers of its upcoming pickup to give us an idea of what to expect.

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Here's Why Lucid Just Cut Its 2022 Production Plans

Lucid may have gotten off to an impressive start in 2021 with the long-awaited release of its Air sedan, but there are choppy seas ahead.

The automaker has revealed its fourth quarter results this week, indicating it has achieved $26.4 million in revenue this year, with $21.3 million of it from deliveries of more than 300 Lucid Air sedans to customers out of over 400 produced so far.

However, the automaker is now projecting a substantial cut in its production outlook for 2022, citing issues we've all been accustomed to hearing in the industry over the past two years.

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