Oh good grief just ditch the gas tax and make everyone pay an annual registration fee.

Governments Are Tired Of Expensive Military Trucks. Ford Has A Cheaper Idea | Carscoops   The automaker says governments across North America and Europe have approached the company about using Ford’s commercial vehicles and technology for modern defense operations. And the reasons given make a lot of sense.   Military procurement usually moves at snail-like speeds, costs absurd amounts of money, and produces vehicles that often look ready for the apocalypse but struggle to find replacement parts. Ford thinks there’s a smarter option sitting right in dealership lots already.   According to the company, governments are increasingly interested in adapting existing commercial vehicles because they’re cheaper, quicker to deploy, and already engineered for brutal working conditions. Ford says the same trucks hauling contractors, utility crews, and construction workers could also handle military transport and support duties surprisingly well.   That means models like the Ranger, F Series, and Super Duty lineup are suddenly getting attention far beyond job sites and ranches. Ford specifically highlighted features like Pro Power Onboard, which can turn a pickup into a mobile generator, as something especially valuable during military operations and disaster response scenarios. The Ranger seems particularly important here because it’s already sold globally and built for international markets. Ford says that its worldwide footprint could make the midsize pickup an attractive option for governments looking for standardized fleets across multiple regions.  

Ford Energy Announces First Major Supply Agreement Ford Energy has already secured its first major supply agreement. That agreement is a five-year framework pact with EDF power solutions North America, and it gives that company the ability to secure up to 4 GWh of DC Block BESS each year from Ford Energy - a total potential volume of up to 20 GWh over the course of that agreement. EDF will use those units to supply its growing portfolio of grid-scale energy storage projects across the U.S., with the first deliveries expected to begin in 2028.

Nice to see Ford increase on this metric for a change.

I thought that at first as well, though the mirror mounts are definitely different.   It would make far too much sense for Ford to develop a global model for multiple markets.  Which is why they'll develop 37 different version of the same size vehicle. Only caveat could be if this introduces the next-gen BS.     Well, from left to right, #2 and #3 are the same silhouette, just copy pasted, so unless that means there's going to be an "upright" and "coupe" version of the same product, these are certainly placeholder silhouettes.

U.S. House Introduces Bill To Charge Electrified Vehicles Annual Fee   According to Reuters, the latest such effort comes to us in the form of bi-partisan legislation introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, which would require EV owners to pay $130 annually for road repairs, and $35 for owners plug-in hybrids. That law also calls for a $5 annual increase to that fee each year starting in 2029, capping out at $150 for EVs and $50 for PHEVs. However, this isn't the first time lawmakers have attempted to pass this type of rule.

The only thing I wish out of Ford here is that the vehicles are more Chinese.   If the partnership with Geely lets Ford learn from them on development and EV technology, I want to see that happen.

Latest survey by Plante Moran.  Ford made a big leap, but still trails the front runners by a large margin.   https://www.plantemoran.com/get-to-know/news/2026/05/2026-working-relations-index

I'll say this, I wish they were a little more differentiated and weren't all using the same basic lighting elements, but I think this looks pretty sick.    The rally racing connection, but just the fact that it looks more daring and bold than a lot of the Ford designs we're used to. We'll have to see the finished designs, but I like where this is going. 

Honestly the bigger takeaway is that Ford probably won’t abandon M-Sport in WRC