Item 1 of 2 Ford Motor Co Chairman Bill Ford speaks during an event marking the opening of their research center in Tel Aviv, Israel June 12, 2019. REUTERS/Ammar Awad/File PhotoFord Motor Co Chairman Bill Ford speaks during an event marking the opening of their research center in Tel Aviv, Israel June 12, 2019. REUTERS/Ammar Awad/File Photo
The growth rate on EV sales has slowed, but globally they are being adopted quickly and Ford will follow even as it hedges it bets with its gasoline-powered and hybrid electric vehicles, he said at a Detroit Free Press event outside Detroit. Michigan is a key battleground state in the election this fall and both Biden and Trump have been speaking to voters, including many industry workers, about the challenges the U.S. auto sector faces. Trump has charged that Biden’s policies will kill auto jobs and aid China’s surging EV industry.
He said Republicans question the need for EVs, saying the U.S. sector trails China and they don't want to use Chinese technology. Meanwhile, Democrats are pushing the industry to make more EVs and asking what they can do to accelerate the process.Bill Ford said the transition to EVs will be gradual and determined by consumers. "We're not shoving anything down anybody's throat," he said.