12-18-2016, 01:23 AM
Auto industry leaders are now seizing a chance to get President-elect Donald Trump's administration to give them a break, while at the same time not completely backing off the EV aspects of their product portfolios. Here's Bloomberg's John Lippert and Jamie Butters: Ford Motor Co. plans to lobby President-elect Donald Trump to soften U.S. and state fuel-economy rules that hurt profits by forcing automakers to build more electric cars and hybrids than are warranted by customer demand. “In 2008, there were 12 electrified vehicles offered in the U.S. market and it represented 2.3 percent of the industry,” Mark Fields, chief executive officer of Ford, said in an interview at Bloomberg’s Southfield, Michigan, office Friday. “Fast forward to 2016, there’s 55 models, and year to date it’s 2.8 percent.” Fields is as committed as anyone to making sure that Ford is part of whatever revolution in transportation occurs in the coming decades, but he doesn't have the luxury of being a starry-eyed visionary. His job is to make sure that Ford is profitable, that it's balance sheet is strong, that it maintains or grows market share in critical parts of the world, and that it doesn't fall behind on innovation, in all areas of the business.
Ford CEO biggest problem for electric cars - Business Insider