New Podcast Interview with Ford's Alan Clarke - Includes Range Discussion

[metroshot]

I'm not convinced by Clarke's point about people being willing to accept a low range because they'll use the EV only for commuting and keep an ICE vehicle for longer trips. I just don't think a lot of people do that and the simple proof of that is that shorter range EV's (under 225 miles) just don't sell that well. I also think a lot of EV drivers want to make a clean break form gas, keeping an ICE vehicle around for some trips kind of defeats the purpose.

While they don't want to make a long range battery standard they are making BlueCruise hardware and Apple Maps standard. But why would you want those if all you're doing is commuting? (BlueCruise only works on major highways.) Seems more like a play for subscription revenue.

Also he seemed pretty adamant that the Fathom would not have much towing capacity. Not an issue for me but this vehicle looks like a truck and some people will expect it to do truck things.I think they need to do a better job defining what the Fathom is and not just what it costs.

Lightning & Mach E standard battery goes 230 miles in the city but less on the highway.

4 years driving EVs - perfect range for me as I stop at Tesla Superchargers on long distance drives, allowing me to stretch, take care of business, and even have a bite to eat.

Longer range is nice but with my aging body and less resistance to not being able move my joints, I would still stop by every 2 hours to get out and move around so why not a charge station.

Love BlueCruise - it's the best long distance driving workload saver for my arms and legs.
Can't imagine not have BC in all my future vehicles.

 

[graycorgi]

I hate the answer to the megawatt charging question (actually I hate the question too, it was a dumb question). We all know it's going to be 400V and it's not going to have that. But will it charge faster than most other 400V vehicles, like the Rivian R2? Or is it going to be glacially slow like the Slate? That's what I care about.

I also didn't really like the framing of the response. Yes. most charging in the USA is 400V (only because most chargers are Tesla - nobody else is using such low voltage chargers). But making an 800V vehicle does not mean you lose "access" 400V chargers, as he implied. And a 400V vehicle has access just fine to higher voltage chargers too - the only problem is amperage-limited cables.

My EV6 can charge just fine on 400V Tesla chargers. In fact, it charges faster on Tesla chargers than a 400V Tesla would on amperage-limited chargers like the common 125kW Chargepoints or the 150kW DC America chargers on the WV Turnpike.

 

[Ranchero 2028]

Most people tow light loads with the Maverick because it has a low tow capacity. If it only has a 3K tow capacity I will just take my business else ware.

There are used lightning’s for low 40 k pricing

 

[metroshot]

..... But will it charge faster than most other 400V vehicles, like the Rivian R2? Or is it going to be glacially slow like the Slate? That's what I care about.

.....

I sure hope so because the old NMC batteries on the Lightning and Mach E are pretty slow on a fast charger. Sure they peak but it settles down to much lower rate than other 400V systems can do.

I just hope that the 400V new advanced LFP batteries will be able to charge quicker than the old NMC batteries...

 

[Snakebitten]

I do a fair amount of fast charging lately, but over the past 3+ years of dailying electric, 99% of my charging was while I sleep. So I never cared about charge rate. But now that I've changed my habits to driving electric even when I travel, as well as towing the RV, I live in the 150KW world at Tesla Superchargers. In fact I am typing this while I charge.

I'm not feeling the rush. Or the angst to finish. I find myself doing the same thing I do when I'm just relaxing on the porch, or at the camp site, or............ Except I'm sitting in a luxurious leather chair in 68F,sipping a great cup of coffee.

 

[graycorgi]

I'm not feeling the rush. Or the angst to finish

I do a lot of 10-20 hour drives. To me, a 35-40 minute charging time is a lot more irritating than a 15-20 minute charging time. 15-20 minutes is the perfect amount of time for me to go into a Sheetz, use the restroom, grab a quick bite, and be done in time to be on the road again. Over a long drive, the difference in charging time could add up to an hour or more.

 

[thum]

I hate the answer to the megawatt charging question (actually I hate the question too, it was a dumb question). We all know it's going to be 400V and it's not going to have that. But will it charge faster than most other 400V vehicles, like the Rivian R2? Or is it going to be glacially slow like the Slate? That's what I care about.

I also didn't really like the framing of the response. Yes. most charging in the USA is 400V (only because most chargers are Tesla - nobody else is using such low voltage chargers). But making an 800V vehicle does not mean you lose "access" 400V chargers, as he implied. And a 400V vehicle has access just fine to higher voltage chargers too - the only problem is amperage-limited cables.

My EV6 can charge just fine on 400V Tesla chargers. In fact, it charges faster on Tesla chargers than a 400V Tesla would on amperage-limited chargers like the common 125kW Chargepoints or the 150kW DC America chargers on the WV Turnpike.

His answer bugged me a lot. I don’t understand why someone wouldn’t do 800v on a new model. Is it more expensive or less reliable?

 

[Snakebitten]

I do a lot of 10-20 hour drives. To me, a 35-40 minute charging time is a lot more irritating than a 15-20 minute charging time. 15-20 minutes is the perfect amount of time for me to go into a Sheetz, use the restroom, grab a quick bite, and be done in time to be on the road again. Over a long drive, the difference in charging time could add up to an hour or more.

I'm not saying that I wouldn't appreciate a faster charge rate, but I'm just wired differently as a geezer than I was in my younger days.
T I M E just doesn't have me by the throat like it used to.

 

[graycorgi]

His answer bugged me a lot. I don’t understand why someone wouldn’t do 800v on a new model. Is it more expensive or less reliable?

They did answer that part in an earlier article - it was a cost thing. They said it would have raised cost roughly 20%. Though I don't really understand how it would make the entire vehicle that much more expensive if they just did a split pack or something.

 

[onuiebvbevnulib]

I also didn't really like the framing of the response. Yes. most charging in the USA is 400V (only because most chargers are Tesla - nobody else is using such low voltage chargers). But making an 800V vehicle does not mean you lose "access" 400V chargers, as he implied. And a 400V vehicle has access just fine to higher voltage chargers too - the only problem is amperage-limited cables.

Going 800 volts would have cost more and pushed the base price over $30,000.

Switching an electric vehicle (EV) from a 400-volt to an 800-volt architecture currently adds an upfront cost penalty of roughly $400 to over $1,000 per vehicle, though component costs are steadily declining.

Cost Breakdown for OEMs

• Power Electronics (Increased Cost): 800V systems require advanced semiconductors—specifically Silicon Carbide (SiC) inverters and higher-rated contactors, switches, and DC-DC converters—which are more expensive than mature 400V parts.
• Wiring and Harnesses (Saved Cost): Doubling the voltage cuts the electrical current in half for the same power output. This allows OEMs to use much thinner, lighter copper wiring, reducing raw material weight and overall Bill of Materials (BOM) expenses.
• Manufacturing and R&D Complexity (Increased Cost): Stricter high-voltage insulation, safety isolation requirements, and complex thermal management systems add engineering and production overhead.
• Supply Chain and Scale: 400V architecture benefits from massive economies of scale. 800V components are newer and less mass-produced, though projections estimate the extra platform cost will shrink significantly over the next few years

 

[onuiebvbevnulib]

His answer bugged me a lot. I don’t understand why someone wouldn’t do 800v on a new model. Is it more expensive or less reliable?

More expensive.

 

[graycorgi]

Going 800 volts would have cost more and pushed the base price over $30,000.

Based on your summary that's a lot less than what I expected based on the prior articles about it. https://fordauthority.com/2026/06/ford-universal-ev-platform-designed-for-efficient-charging/ - it is stated that it would have added another 20% to the cost of the project.

Personally, my concern is not whether it's 400 or 800v. My concern is whether it is a sad slow charging 400v (EV3, Slate, Bolt) or a state-of-the-art fast charging 400v (Rivian R2).

 

[WXman]

Another consideration: In most cases, the faster you charge a battery the less healthy it is for the battery. REALLY fast charging reduces lifespan.

I'm not sure if that's true of these cheaper LFP batteries, because most EVs in the U.S. don't use them. But that was the rule on most EV batteries over the last several years.

If I can get a 100% charge in less than 8 hours it works for me, since I charge overnight at home, and I'd rather have the longest lasting battery pack possible.

 

[TNFurb]

I really enjoyed this podcast. Thanks for posting. On a funny note I couldn’t stop thinking of Flash the Sloth from Zootopia every time the second host was on the screen. Anyone else?

 

[mark]

I’m in the same camp with you. We have a Honda CRV touring for travel and I want a compct truck for my personal use in town for recreation like visiting parks, fishing and small haling for landscape and home repairs. This may tow a small boat or camper trailer, but I would have limited expectations on range and durability. You can’t everything in one package