Electric cars

Joe Lancaster | 8.23.2024 3:10 PM

One of the country's largest automakers announced this week that it was shifting its focus away from battery-powered electric vehicles (E.V.s) in favor of hybrids that still use some amount of gasoline. The decision to prioritize a transitional technology makes sense, even though federal regulators might not be happy.

Ford Motor Co. CFO John Lawler told journalists Wednesday that the company would be shifting its focus away from all-electric vehicles. This included scrapping an electric three-row SUV previously planned for release in 2025.

The decision marks a major shift in the company's priorities. Two years ago, the automaker restructured, cleaving its production line into two divisions: Ford Blue, which would continue to make traditional vehicles with internal combustion engines, and Ford Model e, which would make its growing line of E.V.s.

Ford has seen strong E.V. sales: In the second quarter of 2024, its Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning recorded respective year-over-year sales growth of 58 percent and 79 percent.

But it hasn't been all upside: The Model e division recorded........

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