After discontinuing the F-150 Lightning — last year’s best-selling electric pickup in the U.S. — Ford has joined Ram and Scout Motors in betting on extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs) for its next-generation pickups. Scheduled for delivery through 2027, Ford’s series-hybrid model will pair a larger battery pack with a gasoline generator that only charges the battery once its roughly 150-mile electric range is depleted. Executives believe this configuration addresses key buyer concerns: over half of recent survey respondents in the U.S. and Europe cited charging time and range anxiety as barriers to EV adoption. By offering EV-like performance for daily use plus seamless long-distance capability, Ford aims to reverse the 20% decline in its electric-truck order backlog reported last quarter and capture part of the 18% of U.S. buyers who indicated interest in EREVs in a 2025 McKinsey study.

In advanced discussions spanning several months, Ford has been negotiating with China’s Geely to utilize its Valencia, Spain assembly plant for production of Geely-branded vehicles destined for Europe. The talks also cover sharing automated-driving software and next-generation battery modules. Sources indicate a delegation recently traveled to Shanghai to refine the technology-transfer framework and finalize capacity allocations. The partnership could help Ford offset fixed-cost burdens at Valencia, where utilization rates have hovered around 65% this year, while giving Geely a tariff-free footprint in the European Union. However, the move has drawn scrutiny in Washington — following criticism of Ford’s 2023 battery pact with CATL — and will require careful alignment with both EU trade regulations and U.S. political sensitivities.