Ford Wants to Change Public Opinion on EVs
Photo: Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is all in on bringing electric vehicles to the masses, from its upcoming Mustang-inspired performance crossover to a fully electric version of the Ford F-150. Standing in the way of wider adoption: poor public opinion of EVs. A Ford-backed survey of drivers in the United States, Europe, and Canada found that drivers are unsure that electric vehicles will fulfil their needs.
Ford reports that just 19 percent of American respondents said they would trust an electric vehicle in bad weather, while 82 percent believe that a gas-powered car would be the better choice in terms of power and 87 percent believe an electric vehicle would be inferior in terms of towing.
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To help diffuse these misconceptions, Ford released a trio of videos on YouTube under the banner “EV Myths Busted.” One addresses concerns with electric-vehicle performance in the snow, one addresses electric vehicles and towing, and another disproves that a notion will be unenjoyable to drive. These videos feature prototypes and mules of the Mustang-influenced electric performance crossover and F-150 Electric doing the heavy lifting and healthy hooning.
Accompanying the videos is a Medium blog post from Ted Cannis, Ford’s Global Director of Electrification, who addresses several points of interest from the survey to help improve public opinion of EVs. Among these is the notion from 42 percent of survey respondents that electric vehicles will require gas to operate — he says, “No gasoline or diesel fuels required — electric vehicles don’t even have or need tailpipes. So unless you’re really craving your favorite snack, you can kiss those weekly gas station runs goodbye.”
In order to sway the conversation, Ford also launched a new website called the Electric Learning Zone. There, you can learn more about upcoming electric vehicles, electric vehicle technology, charging requirements, and so on.
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