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Old 08-15-19, 10:22 AM   #62
jeff5may
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How about that? Ford is very near the release version of the battery electric truck. We just had a meeting this week where our tech liaison showed up and started off with this video:

https://youtu.be/bXFHgoon7lg

After that, he had a brag session, and then answered a gaggle of questions. Main points he made related to performance and the budgeted schedule. As to performance, it won't matter whether you want to drag race it or tow big things in or behind it, Ford is shooting for amazing first impressions as well as long-term relationships with fanatic customers. The thing will have monster torque off the line and ample horsepower to go fast.

As to build schedule, they're going to be retooling and reconfiguring the HPP (high performance pickup) line, expanding that building, and building a new line for the HPP with more capacity. Both of these line upgrades will be happening this fall and winter. The new HPP line is part of the generation change for the 2021 model year. The current HPP line is scheduled to be shut down whenever the new line is finished and the operators are supposed to be moving to the area around Thanksgiving. The new generation will be the first to offer hybrid powertrains, and the powers that be are doing their best to get the battery electric trucks released at the same time.

As far as the Ford and Rivian trucks being the same, they're not. In another building, we are producing SUV frames for the expedition and navigator on a brand spanking new line. Due to increased build schedule, that line is now running two shifts of production. The Rivian chassis production will happen in this building. Where the electric F-150 is an e-coat painted all steel frame, the Rivian frame is not. Rivian is specifying their frame as galvanized steel and aluminum. No idea whether it will be e-coat painted or not. More than that, the powertrains are very not the same. Different components completely. Ford is trying to not stray too far from the p702 design, Rivian is proving out a freshly invented system.

Last edited by jeff5may; 08-15-19 at 11:29 AM..
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