As part of Ford’s initiative to add 13 electrified vehicles by 2020, the automaker will produce a hybrid F-Series pickup in the next five years. Company CEO Mark Fields confirmed the news in a recent interview with NPR, echoing statements made by the brand’s Global Product Development Chief last year.
“Part of our job as a company and as an automotive manufacturer and now as a mobility company, is to think of what the world is going to look like five, 10, and even 15 years from now,” said Fields. “And our view, very simply, is that over time, oil is a nonrenewable resource. And therefore, over time, higher levels of electrification will be necessary not only to meet consumer demand in that timeframe but also to meet the regulatory requirements.”
While Fields didn’t go into many specifics, he did divulge that the greener F-Series would be a conventional hybrid — not a plug-in — and would also be rear-wheel drive. Despite low gas prices and a lack of overwhelming demand for hybrid trucks, the executive is confident that the industry will continue to embrace electrification in the months and years to come. And on the heels of the COP21 Paris climate talks, the news couldn’t come at a better time.
“Although it’s a relatively small percentage of our sales, we are the second-largest seller and brand seller of electrified vehicles in the United States, and we’re the No. 1 seller of plug-in hybrids. So this is really allowing us to build on the leadership, understanding that the percentages today are small. But going forward, our view is that they’ll grow, and we want to position ourselves for that growth.”
Listen to the full interview with Mark Fields here.
