‘Take that, Elon Musk’: Ford’s CEO takes a swipe at EV rival while announcing solar investment - The Verge

Ford CEO Jim Farley took a gentle jab at Elon Musk, bragging about his company’s progress in delivering the F-150 Lightning to customers as compared to the delayed Cybertruck.

Ford CEO Jim Farley took a swipe at Tesla CEO Elon Musk Wednesday while announcing a major investment in solar energy. The comment was intended to draw a comparison between Tesla’s long-delayed Cybertruck and Ford’s plug-in pickup, the F-150 Lightning.

Farley was speaking at a Ford plant in Michigan to announce a deal with DTE Energy that both companies billed as the “largest renewable energy purchase from a utility in US history.” But after touting the company’s move to more sustainable sources, he made a quick jab at his main rival in the EV space, whom he has praised in the past for helping spur the industry toward electric vehicles.

“We’re really on a mission at Ford to lead an electric and digital revolution for many, not few,” Farley said. “And I have to say the shining light for us at Ford is this beautiful Lightning made right down the road in Dearborn, right here in the state of Michigan, already the leader of all EV pickup trucks in our industry in the United States.”

He added, “Take that, Elon Musk.”

First announced in 2019, the Tesla Cybertruck was originally supposed to go into production in 2021, but Musk has said that it will now kick off in mid-2023. Meanwhile, the F-150 Lightning is currently the bestselling electric truck in the market, outselling the only other two entrants, the Rivian R1T and GMC Hummer EV.

https://www.theverge.com/2022/8/10/23299790/ford-jim-farley-tesla-elon-musk-solar-energy

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