Ford needs EV batteries more than semiconductor chips, CEO says

Ford Motor needs batteries for its electric powered autos extra than semiconductor chips, CEO Jim Farley advised CNBC’s Jim Cramer on Thursday.

His feedback occur following the Detroit automaker shut down purchaser reservations for an approaching electrical version of the F-150 following they hit 200,000 models, which is much more than double Ford’s yearly generation capability for the car. The electric F-150 Lightning is scheduled to go on sale in the spring.

“We’ll get the semiconductors, which is a make a difference of prioritizing the (battery-electric powered cars) in excess of the (inner combustion motor) vehicles,” Farley stated through a webcast for the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer. “The issue is batteries. Which is what we have to solve.”

Farley explained the automaker is “completely oversubscribed with our battery electric cars,” specially the F-150 Lightning. He told CNBC very last 7 days that Ford was doing “regardless of what it normally takes” to double output capacity for electrical F-150 pickup.

Farley’s opinions could surprise numerous as the automaker carries on to deal with a worldwide scarcity of semiconductor chips that has wreaked havoc this year on the global automotive industry.

Automakers like Ford are increasingly putting offers to supply components and parts for electric powered cars, precisely batteries, to likely stay clear of offer chain interruptions like the chips shortage has highlighted.

There is stress by some Wall Street analysts that need for EVs will exceed the predicted supply of significant products this sort of as lithium, making a problem for automakers to generate the automobiles.