This article appeared in the November 26, 2019 edition of the Monitor Daily.

Read 11/26 edition

Ford vs. Ferrari? Today, it's Ford vs. Tesla

AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu
Tesla CEO Elon Musk introduces the Cybertruck Nov. 21, 2019, in Hawthorne, California. In the background, there's a tug of war between a Ford F-150 and the Tesla truck.

The five hand-picked stories in today’s edition cover personal lessons from Watergate, how Netanyahu reshaped Israeli politics, Big Tech’s push to better banking, an homage to holiday workers, and navigating the gender divide at Thanksgiving.

First, if you’ve seen the movie “Ford v Ferrari,” you’ll recognize the historical echoes with the car industry today. More than five decades ago, Ford was trying to regain its status as an automaker for a younger generation. The debut of the Mustang in 1964 was the embodiment of that goal. 

Last week, Ford unveiled the Mustang Mach-E, an electric vehicle. “This is a Mustang for a new generation,” said Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford. It would be hard to overstate the significance of Ford’s move. It signals a profound shift. A leading American maker of combustion-engine cars is so confident of the future of electric, it put its signature pony emblem on a vehicle powered by electrons. 

If there were any doubt about today’s epic battle, Elon Musk made it explicit last Thursday with the debut of the Tesla Cybertruck, which looks more like a post-apocalyptic DeLorean on steroids than a pickup truck. Mr. Musk claims that there are already 200,000 preorders for the $39,900 e-truck. 

To rub it in, Mr. Musk posted a 16-second video showing a Ford F-150 losing a tug of war with the Cybertruck. The video has been viewed more than 12 million times.

Ford was not amused. For 37 years, the F-150 has been the bestselling vehicle in America. The Detroit automaker wants a rematch as soon as next week.

Ford versus Tesla: The battle for the future of fossil fuel-free transportation is on.


This article appeared in the November 26, 2019 edition of the Monitor Daily.

Read 11/26 edition
You've read  of  free articles. Subscribe to continue.