https://www.theverge.com/2023/5/22/23733215/ford-ev-battery-size-weight-safety-jim-farleysample quote
I have no idea what’s going on in this industry right now,”
Ford CEO Jim Farley said during his company’s capital markets event Monday.
He referenced electric vehicles coming out with 450–500 miles of range, including “a three-row crossover” announced today that was likely the new electric Cadillac Escalade.
Higher ranges will necessitate bigger batteries, he noted, adding, “These batteries are huge.”
Farley is right. US automakers are relying on supersized batteries to power their equally supersized EVs — namely, all the electric trucks that will soon flood the US market. Car companies (perhaps rightly) assumed that the best way to sell America’s truck-loving population on plug-in power is to electrify a bunch of pickups. And big trucks need big batteries to justify big range to address anxiety any truck buyers may have about switching sides to electric.
The Rivian R1T truck and R1S SUV run on batteries as large as 135kWh.
The Hummer EV’s 212kWh battery is heavier than a Honda Civic.
Chevy just announced a higher range estimate for its forthcoming Silverado EV for a total of 450 miles on a single charge. That’s thanks to the 200kWh Ultium battery firing its electrons beneath the floorboards of this 8,000-pound behemoth.
The Ram 1500 REV includes an option for a 229kWh battery for a targeted range of 500 miles.
This is not sustainable. Bigger batteries, longer range, heavier trucks... these are not the hallmarks of the sea change the auto industry is trying to sell us on.
end quote
