It’s no secret that we’ve kept a keen eye on the development of EVs, as well as the hurdles and requirements that we need to clear as a society to allow for their greater use. We’ve also checked in to see which companies and countries have made pledges to phase out ICE vehicles, and the latest pledge shows promise for active change

The Pledge

Ford pledged to phase out fossil fuel vehicles by 2040, something that raises eyebrows considering that Ford chose to default to 2050, never making a statement regarding a specific zero-emission goal. Ford’s pledge has also been backed up by their recent EV lineup announcement, with the F-150 Lightning being one of the more prominent ones. With all of this to take into consideration, we are hoping that it will push forward the infrastructure changes needed to help companies sign on as well.

What We Need To Do

Right now, most cities aren’t equipped with the necessary charging stations and maintenance expertise to make EVs widely accessible to the general public. Ford had recently shown off a concept for an all-electric, vintage style pick-up, demonstrating that the EVs can have a larger market appeal if we want to focus on aesthetics. EVs can replace ICE vehicles in terms of utility and style, but it’s hard to market a vehicle that requires specialized maintenance capabilities that aren’t widely available. Countries should consider that figuring out and installing the infrastructure and services needed to allow greater use of EVs would be a greater incentive to push more companies to pledge earlier dates alongside Ford, as they would have a larger audience to market to.

Article sources:

https://fordauthority.com/2021/11/ford-signs-pledge-to-phase-out-fossil-fuel-vehicles-by-2040/
https://mashable.com/article/ford-electric-truck-pickup-vintage