Just crazy that they're letting F-series slip at this point.   I'd say this does point to a more radical/truly all new sort of changeover, and not just the new front/rear end, same cab "all new" approach we've seen since the 2015 model.

It’s more like selling a vehicle with a 7 gallon fuel tank with 1/8” filler hole and wondering why people are hesitant to buy what is otherwise a great vehicle.

We'll just have to wait and see.  I think it will use more of ce1 than you think.

Original ranger was 25" shorter and 6" narrower than Maverick.  And it was perfectly fine size wise as a cheap starter vehicle.  So it would be smaller than Maverick leaving Maverick as a step up in both size and cost and capability. Or it replaces Maverick depending on size.  

I’m curious about which engine Ford will use for this F-150 EREV. Ram went with the 3.6 Pentastar V6 (non-turbo) for their EREV. Ford is supposedly using the Coyote V8 (also non-turbo) for the Super Duty EREV.    I doubt they would use the same Coyote as the Super Duty. That leaves the 2.7 or 3.5 Ecoboost as options. Or maybe they resurrect the 3.3 V6 and follow Ram’s lead?

The last thing I saw after a quick search was 10 months ago that the next gen was pushed to CY April 2028-so given how production spolls up and them wanting to cut bad on manufacturing defects, it wouldn't launch till late summer 2028 AKA 2029 MY. 

Exactly-I think the Affordable thing is just a red herring being put out there when it actually will be "reasonably" priced.    I really don't see what was learned with CE1 really cutting the costs down on a cheaper ICE pickup, just because the ICE pickup is going to be more complex build because of that said ICE engine that will most likely have a hybrid setup that will also make it more complex.   Part of the reason the CE1 is supposed to be cheaper is because its less complex build. Just as an example, I'm not sure your going to see a huge improvement in costs using an ICE/Hybrid that will need additional harnesses alone for engine AND battery management. I'd assume the CE1 is using a single bus for EVERYTHING vs the multiple busses that are found in ICE-yes they can be reduced vs what current ICE has due to architecture changes, but your physically going to have longer lengths of cable just for ICE engine management that wouldn't exist on an EV.    And At at this point, C2 would be better off being replaced by CE1 inspired platform....which would be even more cost.    

Also, side note - BORG is saying that next-gen F-150 is slipping to 2029 MY now...........   Absurd if true.

I'm understanding the cost idea, and I totally agree that CE1 learnings should be applied to all other models.   What I'm not understanding is where it fits in the lineup - you're proposing smaller/cheaper than Maverick, right?  Ok, a regular cab could be.....but then you mentioned a crew cab, but at that point, you're at Maverick sized?  So then you're heavily overlapping your own product?  At that point, aren't you just making a next gen Maverick (using CE1 learnings) with multiple cab types?  Not really sure how much smaller you could be while having it useful.

C2 is too expensive to build that cheap.  You guys aren't seeing the potential cost savings that I am from a new platform using stuff learned from ce1 to significantly reduce costs.