Ford CEO Jim Farley said today that consumers are not committing to electric vehicles because they have anxiety, and it is not range anxiety.
“They don’t have range anxiety, they have charging anxiety,” Farley said on Fox Business. “We’re going into the mass consumers who have a lot of charging anxiety.”
The comments came in response to Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm’s recent four-day, 600-mile journey from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Memphis, Tennessee, with a fleet of legacy automaker electric vehicles.
Granholm’s trip was far from smooth, as the Secretary had several bumps in the road related to charging. At one point, ICE vehicles that were in communication with the Secretary’s fleet of cars were tasked with parking at EV chargers in an inadvertent instance of ICEing — a term used for when combustion engine vehicles park at and block EV chargers.
This caused a family who needed a charge to keep their car cool as a baby was occupying it to lose their cool, both figuratively and literally, and they called the police.
You can read our full report on that below:
For Ford and Farley, solving “charging anxiety” is the next step for breaking through the current number of sales it has and entering a new market. Farley admits that EVs, at least from Ford’s perspective, are currently for a niche of customers.
He talked about EVs and the premium price they have, which has discouraged many consumers from considering buying one. Although prices have dropped from a year ago, as Farley mentioned in the interview with Fox’s Bret Baier, there is still a new batch of consumers that need the wide array of concerns to be obliterated before they switch.
“Some customers who have the right duty cycle are really interested, but the price premium that we see a year ago is not there today,” Farley said.
One way Ford has chosen to combat this “charging anxiety” is by partnering with Tesla and vowing to use the automaker’s North American Charging Standard, or NACS, connector, which will give Ford EV drivers access to 12,000 Tesla Superchargers in the United States.
It seems Ford won’t be ready to completely phase out ICE vehicles as Farley also said consumers will have a choice of what they want and need in a vehicle.
“We’re going to offer customers a choice. We’re going to have a growth story for all three of our businesses, including our pro-business, and we’ll have the customer choose,” he said. “The F-150 Lightning is the best-selling electric pickup in the U.S. and for those customers, it works great, but it’s not for everyone.”
Ford recently tripled its production capacity for the F-150 Lightning, which has been the best-selling EV pickup in the U.S.
I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.
News
Tesla might be doing away with a long-included feature with its vehicles
It appears Tesla is mulling the possibility of not including key cards with its vehicles any longer.

Tesla might be doing away with a long-included feature with its vehicles, as it could be looking to phase out something that very few owners utilize.
Tesla Key Cards are included when you purchase your vehicle, and they assist in the initial setup process. However, after that, they are not super useful or relevant to the owner, as many rely on their Phone Key through the Tesla App to access their cars.
As such, it appears Tesla is mulling the possibility of not including key cards with its vehicles any longer. According to some language that has been removed from vehicle Owner’s Manuals that talks about the inclusion of key cards with the car upon delivery:
“Tesla provides you with two Model 3/Y key cards, designed to fit in your wallet.”
That sentence was removed from Owner’s Manuals, according to Not a Tesla App, which first spotted the change.
Tesla Model 3 owner implants RFID key card chip into her arm as ultimate hack to unlock door
Interestingly, the timing of the phrase being removed from Owner’s Manuals comes just after Tesla launched its “affordable” Standard Models, and could be a small money-saving measure for the company.
Key Cards have been utilized by Tesla for its cars since 2017, as they became an included accessory with the vehicle. They still have their place and are useful for other applications, such as Valet service and even to be used by car owners if their phone is dead or if someone else needs to get into the car.
They can also be purchased in the Tesla Shop for $40.
It seems as if Tesla is planning to have owners be completely reliant on the Phone Key, which is more useful and convenient than carrying around the Key Cards.
Although it is minor, it is yet another strategy Tesla is using to trim any sort of costs that can be eliminated and could save money in the long run.
News
Elon Musk confirms Tesla FSD V14.2 will see widespread rollout
Musk shared the news in a post on social media platform X.

Elon Musk has confirmed that Tesla will be implementing a wide rollout of Full Self-Driving (FSD) V14 with the system’s V14.2 update. Musk shared the news in a post on social media platform X.
FSD V14.1.2 earns strong praise from testers
Musk’s comment came as a response to Tesla owner and longtime FSD tester AI DRIVR, who noted that it might be time to release Full Self-Driving to the fleet because V14.1.2 has already become very refined.
“95% of the indecisive lane changes and braking have been fixed in FSD 14.1.2. I haven’t touched my steering wheel in two days. I think it’s time, Tesla AI,” the longtime FSD tester wrote.
AI DRIVR’s comment received quite a bit of support from fellow Tesla drivers, some of whom noted that the improvements that were implemented in V14.1.2 are substantial. Others also agreed that it’s time for FSD to see a wide release.
In his reply to the FSD tester, CEO Elon Musk noted that FSD V14’s wide release would happen with V14.2. “14.2 for widespread use,” Musk wrote in his reply.
Mad Max mode makes headlines
One of the key features that was introduced with FSD’s current iteration is Mad Max mode, which allows for higher speeds and more frequent lane changes than the previous “Hurry” mode. Videos and social media posts from FSD testers have shown the system deftly handling complex traffic, merging seamlessly, and maintaining an assertive but safe driving behavior with Mad Max mode engaged.
Tesla AI head Ashok Elluswamy recently noted in a post on X that Mad Max mode was built to handle congested daytime traffic, making it extremely useful for drivers who tend to find themselves in heavy roads during their daily commutes. With Musk now hinting that FSD V14.2 will go on wide release, it might only be a matter of time before the larger Tesla fleet gets to experience the notable improvements of FSD’s V14 update.
News
Multiple Tesla Cybercab units spotted at Giga Texas crash test facility
The vehicles were covered, but one could easily recognize the Cybercab’s sleek lines and compact size.

It appears that Tesla is ramping up its activities surrounding the development and likely initial production of the Cybercab at Giga Texas. This was, at least, hinted at in a recent drone flyover of the massive electric vehicle production facility in Austin.
Cybercab sightings fuel speculations
As observed by longtime Giga Texas drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer, Tesla had several covered Cybercab units outside the facility’s crash testing facility at the time of his recent flyover. The vehicles were covered, but one could easily recognize the Cybercab’s sleek lines and compact size. Tegtmeyer also observed during his flyover that production of the Model Y Standard seems to be hitting its pace.
The drone operator noted that the seven covered Cybercabs might be older prototypes being decommissioned or new units awaiting crash tests. Either scenario points to a ramp-up in Cybercab activity at Giga Texas, however. “In either case, this is another datapoint indicating production is getting closer to happening,” Tegtmeyer wrote on X, highlighting that the autonomous two-seaters were quite exciting to see.
Cybercab production targets
This latest sighting follows reports of renewed Cybercab appearances at both the Fremont Factory and Giga Texas. A test unit was recently spotted driving on Giga Texas’ South River Road. Another Cybercab, seen at Tesla’s Fremont Factory, appeared to be manually driven, suggesting that the vehicle’s current prototypes may still be produced with temporary steering controls.
The Tesla Cybercab is designed to be the company’s highest-volume vehicle, with CEO Elon Musk estimating that the autonomous two-seater should see an annual production rate of about 2 million units per year. To accomplish this, Tesla will be building the Cybercab using its “Unboxed” process, which should help the vehicle’s production line achieve outputs that are more akin to consumer electronics production lines.
-
Elon Musk3 days ago
SpaceX posts Starship booster feat that’s so nutty, it doesn’t even look real
-
Elon Musk2 days ago
Tesla Full Self-Driving gets an offer to be insured for ‘almost free’
-
News2 days ago
Elon Musk confirms Tesla FSD V14.2 will see widespread rollout
-
News3 days ago
Tesla is adding an interesting feature to its centerscreen in a coming update
-
News5 days ago
Tesla launches new interior option for Model Y
-
News4 days ago
Tesla widens rollout of new Full Self-Driving suite to more owners
-
Elon Musk2 days ago
Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s $1 trillion pay package hits first adversity from proxy firm
-
News5 days ago
Tesla makes big move with its Insurance program