Ford found its EV wiring is 1.6km longer than Tesla’s, spurring faster EV push despite losses.

Ford CEO Jim Farley said the company was shocked after dismantling a Tesla Model 3 and Chinese EVs, revealing the Mustang Mach-E’s wiring loom was 1.6km longer than Tesla’s, adding 32kg of weight and costing about A$300 per battery in inefficiency. This finding reinforced Farley’s view that Ford must accelerate its EV transition, despite a US$5.1 billion loss in 2024 from EV and software operations following a 2022 corporate split. Ford plans a Ranger-sized electric dual-cab ute in 2027 on a new cost-reducing platform and a mid-size electric pickup around US$30,000 in development, with performance and space targeting rivals like the Toyota RAV4. The company’s EV sales in Australia remain limited, with about 1,100 Mach-Es sold since 2023 and 380 in 2025.