So why wouldn’t the same thing work for the skunk truck except $7k+ cheaper than the Mach E

So offer an upgraded version for those who want it but keep the entry price low with 250 range.   Same concept as offering base cars with anemic engines and offering the customer the choice to upgrade.

While Ford does not publicly split specific Mach-E sales figures by battery size, buyer preference is heavily split based on usage. Most budget-conscious buyers and urban commuters find the Standard Range entirely sufficient, but buyers seeking road-trip flexibility or maximum performance heavily favor the Extended Range.    And this is how it goes because Ford’s mantra has changed to  providing the smallest battery it can to save money and maximise profits after abandoning full sized Lightning and its bigger more costly batteries.

Unifor will ram a contract through quickly, we always do

I figure the thought is that plenty of people (including Ford) are already offering the $37k option with 300 miles and it doesn’t get the volume they’re looking for, but nobody except Chevy offers a $30k model with ~260 miles. They can always just have an extended range option for like $4000 that gets you over 300.  

I honestly think it was a really bad idea for them to so publicly peg themselves to a position that would likely require a strike almost 5 years out. We were all a bit high on the success after the Big 3 strike and VW win until roughly the MB vote (which was entirely winnable, but a certain individual not named Shawn Fain pushed a foolish organizing strategy different from what worked at VW). I can only speculate but I can imagine they created an aura of feeling bound to follow up on the proclamations. I’ve felt that before on contracts (not this high stakes…) but ultimately you can only do what membership is willing to do.

I think it also depends on where you live. Colder areas might want more range. People living in cities might be ok with less range.    I don’t think I’d ever buy an EV with less then 300 mile range. There are already plenty of vehicles that get that range and are between 30-40k.   

2 years is a long time and a lot can happen between now and May 2028. I have some very close friends with family who have positions down at international and the feeling is it doesn’t matter what the big 3 offer, there will be a strike no matter what and IMO the hill they’re choosing to die on is a fool’s errand. Things from my perspective economically are edging closer to perilousness regardless of what the current Administration wants to claim. If things go the way I think they’re going a strike will be catastrophic to the membership.    I would much rather have someone in charge who is tough but much more stoic. I can do without all the posturing Mr. Fain loves. 

This has been coming for years. In the 1990s I used to  buy the big servicing book from Ford for my vehicles but by the early 2000s they stopped access to them, had to work for a Ford dealer.  

I've had few problems with ACP and Sync3 in My Ranger. Compared The Google platform in the 2025 Explorer I owned briefly, Sync3 is easier to use for me as well.