ICE not EVs top GM/Ford production plans

General Motors (GM) and Ford both have their actual production plans for the US based on large, internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles rather than electric, media reports suggest.

They will make more than five million SUVs and utes in 2026, but only about 320,000 EVs, according to Reuters, which says it has viewed the companies’ detailed production plans for North America.

That’s prompted Teslarati to says Tesla appears to remain the only serious electric car maker in the US for some time.

It says the combined EV output from Ford and GM is therefore less than Tesla’s in 2019 from its Fremont factory in California.

GM chief executive Mary Barra had announced a US$20 billion project to bring out a million EVs by the mid-2020s, although most would be sold in China.

Ford’s executive chairman Bill Ford also said they’re “all-in” on EVs.

GM and Ford’s US production of SUV models (93% of them petrol) will outpace traditional cars by more than 8:1 in 2026, according to AutoForecast Solutions information.

Reuters notes AutoForecast’s data is based on planning information provided to suppliers by the automakers themselves.

 “GM and Ford understand that buyers want more SUVs and trucks (utes), but they’re also trying to play to Wall Street, which thinks the future is all about electric vehicles,” AutoForecast vice president Sam Fiorani says.

Ford has the electric Mustang Mach-E and GM’s GMC Hummer EV is expected to debut in May ahead of its 2021 release.

Meanwhile, Tesla stock has surged 40% in a week, coming amid some updates from Wall Street about Tesla’s short-term and long-term prospects, Teslarati reports.

Like many auto manufacturers, Tesla is expected to be hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, but its long-term prospects are highly rated.