No vehicles have been built using this “new” (to Ford) assembly process in an actual factory.  Farley himself has stated that the entire project and assembly process is not a “sure thing”.   

When it comes to affordable vehicles, I think the main appeal of EV tech is it'll make cars feel a lot more premium. The refinement, smoothness, lack of noise you get with an EV, that makes a 30k EV feel like a high end gas powered vehicle. Whereas a lot of 25-30k gas powered vehicles can feel a little harsh, or buzzy, even a maverick hybrid which pains me to say as an owner of one. It's usually fine, other times it feels pretty suspect.    For buyers who just want the nicest feeling, most reliable, lowest maintenance vehicles, affordable vehicles with the fewest compromises, EVs are gonna be the future there. 

While a higher price does add additional barriers to entry, I believe if that was the main thing that mattered, we wouldn't see anywhere near as many large full-sized SUVs and well equipped trucks as we do. Given how expensive they are, things like well equipped expeditions or suburbans are incredibly popular, same with a lot of nice f-series.    I believe it's because there's a sense of familiarity there. A 2025 expedition is going to be more refined and advanced than a 2015 expedition by a very sizable margin. But the way it drives, what it's like to maintain and live with, is probably pretty similar. You have to adapt to the new features and so on, but there's still some points of comparison. People feel more comfortable with it because it's what they know.    Whereas transitioning to an EV, you have to adapt to an entirely new maintenance and charging experience, with a driving experience unlike what many have experienced. I believe a lot of people find that too off-putting, and aren't prepared to spend serious money on a vehicle unlike anything they've owned before out of fear that they'll hate the ownership experience. 

Nothing is guaranteed, but they've been working on it for almost 3 years now and building actual vehicles.  This isn't vaporware.   That's why it was a skunkworks project led by outsiders.  Clean sheet no corporate distraction or impediments.  New factory new processes.   It doesn't have to be exactly the same.  Gigacasting, electrical, new assembly processes can all be extrapolated to ICE.

Some of your posts should be required reading…

Regarding most new vehicle buyers, I think that there’s just no compelling reason to own a BEV plus those people are not ready to give up on ICE and various hybrids. This issue is exacerbated in places like North America where the cost of fuel is still  relatively cheap….  

I don't think that's it.  I think it's much simpler.  Start with 100 people who can afford a new car at $25k.  Only 75 can afford a $35k car.  Only 40 can afford a $45k car.  Every $5k in price reduces the pool of available buyers.  That's why for cars and SUVs the volume is inversely proportional to price.     Want to increase sales?  Drop prices.  Not unique to EVs.

That would be made at MAP.  Not enough volume to be in Tennessee and it doesn't fit the affordable moniker.  A new affordable truck model has to be unibody and compact and/or midsized.  It's the only thing that makes sense given the new direction with ce1.

I have been thinking about this.  I have an unpopular opinion that buyers buy what they can, and choice is an illusion for most buyers. To Be Clear, when most buyers need a car, they go to the Dealership and choose from whatever they have available, whether that is a new Version of their current vehicle or an "upgrade" to a new format or class.  With a New product like an EV, there is risk for the buyer and the salesperson. It's much easier to sell a more familiar product with less risk of a confused or disappointed Customer than a new "riskier" EV.  To your point, buyers need to be convinced, and not scared by the technology. This starts with convincing the dealers and salespeople that EVs are a good fit for most buyers.  This will happen naturally over time as more normies live with EVs and the perceived penalties are reduced and eliminated. Right now, making EVs affordable is the best way to increase sales. No matter the Backwardness of the US, all Automakers have no choice but to drive the costs out of EVs; global competition gives them no other choice.   

How so?    I don't know. The PR from Ford seems Business as usual, not transformational The Skunkworks program isn't guaranteed success. It will take time to deploy the lessons learned from this program The institutional inertia is always acting against change  The EV Focus of the Skunkworks isn't directly applicable to the product Development of ICE vehicles No Automaker has tried an unboxed process with an ICE vehicle. Connecting EV Boxes together is simpler Than ICE vehicle boxes, with Electrical, Fuel, Emissions, and Exhaust connections. I could be wrong, we won't know for sure until the products hit the market.