Ford significantly lowers the price of the 2023 Mustang Mach-E in Canada to boost demand and remain competitive.
The automobile maker slashed the recommended retail price for all models. The 2023 Mustang Mach-E is $51,995, down $5,000 from $56,995, while the GT Performance Extended Range is $13,000 cheaper at $69,995 from $82,995, according to Electrek. Except for the GT Performance Edition, these modifications qualify for a $5,000 federal EV refund and $7,000 Quebec credit.
Developing Affordable EVs
This Ford price drop in Canada follows a TechTimes' story that the former Tesla executive Alan Clarke is leading a company's project to produce a low-cost electric vehicle platform. Ford CEO Jim Farley revealed this a "skunkworks" project during the fourth-quarter results call.
Clarke is leading this secretive Ford project, which has been underway for about two years and is based in Irvine, California. The team comprises engineers from Auto Motive Power (AMP), an EV power startup acquired by Ford in November 2023. Anil Paryani, the founder of AMP and a former Tesla colleague of Clarke, is also involved.
The Skunkworks project is focused on creating a third-generation EV platform, with specific details and timelines yet to be disclosed by Ford.
Moreover, in response to shifting market demands, Ford implemented adjustments to its EV investment plans, including postponing $12 billion in investments.
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These developments unfold against the backdrop of a call from two Republican chairs of the US House Committees to open an investigation on Ford.
Representatives Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. and Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash, chairwoman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee urged the Biden administration in January to investigate four Chinese entities reportedly involved in Ford Motors' Michigan battery facility.
The legislators wants to the probe to address concerns about direct ties between the Chinese companies and the entities linked to the Chinese military, the Communist Party, the North Korean government, and the Xinjiang human rights abuses.
The investigation's focus is on the Ford facility's ties with Chinese battery producer CATL technology, with calls for the Commerce Department to explore export restrictions on the Chinese companies associated with its design, construction, and IT processes. The lawmakers emphasize significant cybersecurity risks and note that Ford provided private documents to the committees.
Ford CEO Jim Farley expresses a willingness to participate in the investigation, highlighting the company's commitment to compliance with government legislation and upholding high standards, including human rights. In September 2023, the US car maker halted the development on its $3.5 billion Marshall, Michigan electric vehicle battery factory with Chinese battery producer CATL, a move praised by Gallagher and fellow GOP members. Ford also denies ties with the Chinese firm and asserts that it solely operates its Michigan facility.
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