In 2023, Ford projected a $3 billion pre-tax loss for its Model e EV unit, on top of a cumulative $2.1 billion loss in 2022 and $900 million loss in 2021. That totals roughly $6 billion lost on EVs from 2021–2023. Ford’s Model e segment had about a -40% EBIT margin in 2022, meaning Ford spent far more building EVs than the revenue from selling them. These figures are confirmed by Ford’s investor briefings and SEC filings. Argo AI was shut down in 2022, and Ford took a $2.7 billion impairment charge on its investment. Ford’s e-scooter subsidiary Spin, acquired for $100 million in 2018, was sold off in 2022 in an all-stock deal to Tier Mobility. The Chariot microtransit service was shut in 2019. Ford disclosed in October 2023 that it was postponing about $12 billion of capex earmarked for expanding EV production capacity (such as a second battery plant line), in response to cooling demand and eroding pricing power. In July 2023, Ford enacted major price cuts (up to ~$10,000 off) on the Lightning to stimulate demand amid increasing EV competition. In 2023 Ford sold just 24,000 Lightnings, well below its capacity (it had expected ~70k that year). Late 2024 Ford shares were down ~13% for the year while GM’s were up ~43%, as Ford struggled with quality and efficiency problems. Q3 2023 Ford was losing over $30,000 per EV sold due to high costs and price cuts. In 2023, the Model e division lost about $4.7 billion (EBIT), and this ballooned to roughly $5.1 billion in 2024. In Q2 2024, for instance, Ford’s warranty and recall expenses totaled $2.3 billion, which was $700 million higher year-over-year and $800 million higher than Q1 2024. United Auto Workers substantially raises labor costs for Ford. Ford officially stated the deal will cost an additional $8.8 billion through 2028, which translates to roughly $900 in extra cost per vehicle by the end of the contract. October 1, 2024… Ford issued a press release announcing major price reductions for BlueCruise – annual plan cut to $495 (from $800) and monthly to $49.99 (from ~$75). These changes indicate that customer uptake at the original pricing was below expectations, forcing Ford to lower margins to boost volume. Additionally, Ford’s reported “805,000 paid software subscriptions” by Q3 2024 included all BlueCruise trial participants (as discussed above), so the revenue impact was much smaller. In essence, while Ford execs claimed BlueCruise as a financial success, the need for aggressive price cuts and packaging in 2024 shows the program was not as successful in market penetration. On August 21, 2024, Ford issued an update (covered by media such as PC Magazine and Automotive News) that it “has cancelled its next electric car, a three-row SUV, and will instead pursue hybrid SUVs”. Ford significantly pulled back on previously announced EV programs. Notably, Ford took an immediate accounting write-off was $0.4B, with potential future costs totaling as much as $1.9B in Q3 2024 related to “a canceled three-row electric SUV. AICP for 2024 came in at only 69% of target due to missed company wide goals. Executives could still achieve a portion of their bonuses if Ford Blue and Pro performed well enough to hit profit targets, even though Model e was deep in the red. The revenue from subscriptions is relative to Ford’s $158 billion in annual revenues – for example, Ford Pro’s software/services carry >50% profit margins but only ~500,000 subscribers in 2023… which makes it silly to brag about and more embarrassing when misconstrued as paid users. The company pulled back on a pledge to go fully electric in Europe by 2030. Yet $4.8B of Ford’s cash is being tied up to fix Europe (subsidiary in Germany debt + new business plan, rather than returned to shareholders or invested elsewhere. Nov 2024, Ford agreed to pay up to $165 million in civil penalties for failing to recall 620,000 vehicles in a timely manner over a camera defect. Ford disclosed that warranty expenses for Q2 in 2024 were $800 million higher than the prior year’s quarter. Ford is seeing softening demand for some models like Bronco (Q3 2024 Bronco sales fell 18.5%). Nov 2024–Feb 2025 data found significant churn in certain functions: e.g. Engineering saw 128 hires vs 72 departures in that period, and Business/management had 23 exits vs 20 hires, while even HR had notable turnover in senior ranks (sources using LinkedIn Analytics). Ford is signaling that without credits, its EV projects (and associated employment) would be scaled back to remain profitable (regards to IRA appeal 2025). Ford also faces over 100 pending lawsuits alleging that 1999–2016 Super Duty truck roofs are defectively weak. on Feb 17, 2025, a Georgia federal jury awarded $2.5 billion in punitive damages against Ford in a case involving a 2015 F-250 rollover that ki-led a couple. Ford’s balance sheet, as of end 2024, included roughly $28.5 billion in cash and $46.7 billion in total liquidity. By early 2025, the Cybertruck had begun deliveries, and Bloomberg noted Ford’s Lightning is “falling behind” that new rival amid a “deepening EV crisis” for Ford. As of Q1 2025, MAP continues building Broncos and Rangers in Michigan. Ford has not yet delivered a next-gen EV to leapfrog competitors; instead it’s cutting prices on existing models to stay in the game while surviving quality losses. Ford’s management is closely monitoring policy changes and willing to take tough actions to protect the company’s financial health.
It’s worth noting Ford’s leadership did receive performance bonuses even as the Model e division lost billions (the bonuses were more tied to Ford Blue/Ford Pro results and stock performance).