Ford Splits Electric, Internal-Combustion Cars Into Separate Businesses – Roadshow [CNET]

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“Our ambition with Ford Plus is to become a truly great, world-changing company again, and that requires focus,” said Ford CEO Jim Farley in a statement. “We are going all in, creating separate but complementary businesses that give us start-up speed and unbridled innovation in Ford Model E together with Ford Blue’s industrial know-how, volume and iconic brands like Bronco, that start-ups can only dream about.”

This doesn’t mean the two businesses will be staring each other down across a row of cubicles, trying to outmaneuver their newfound rivals. Instead, the two will share their distinct expertise with the other. For you, a person who might be looking to buy a car, this business decision won’t have much of a visible effect. You won’t have to go to two different kinds of Ford dealers to cross-shop the F-150 and the F-150 Lightning, for example.

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The choice to split Ford’s EV and ICE businesses, while remaining the same corporate parent, could also be setting the stage for a larger move. A Reuters report that broke the news early also points to the potential for Ford to completely spin off its electric-vehicle division further down the road, although recent comments by CEO Jim Farley downplay such a move.

Ford’s got plenty of interesting stuff on the horizon for buyers on both sides of the EV-ICE border. The Ford Bronco Raptor is ready to absolutely demolish your local off-road course, while a new midsize Ranger pickup will also spawn its own Raptor variant. On the electric side of things, the E-Transit electric cargo van is now making its way to customers, but the most hotly anticipated vehicle from the new Model E division is the F-150 Lightning, an electrified take on one of America’s best-selling vehicles.