--- title: "Ford Thinks It Can Beat China and Build the World’s Cheapest EV Motors for its $30K Electric Truck: TDS" description: "Good morning and welcome to *The Downshift*, or *TDS* for short." date: "2026-01-08" modified: "2026-01-08" authors: - name: "Joel Feder" job_title: "Director of Content and Product" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/joel-feder" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/ford-thinks-it-can-beat-china-and-build-the-worlds-cheapest-ev-motors-for-its-30k-electric-truck-tds" categories: - "News" - "The Downshift" --- # Ford Thinks It Can Beat China and Build the World’s Cheapest EV Motors for its $30K Electric Truck: TDS ![Ford EV truck concept art.]() *\Ford\* Good morning and welcome to *The Downshift*, or *TDS* for short. Tight, info dense, and short, *TDS* gathers the latest automotive headlines from around the world and puts them in one place. Stories are summarized in a single sentence accompanied by a link for those seeking more information. 🚨 A reminder that our daily email newsletter that fires each afternoon relaunched yesterday with a fresh design and new name, now called the Daily Brief. Not signed up for the daily email newsletter? It's free! Sign up above in the box just below the lead image of this story and you'll be all set starting today. Feedback is welcome and can be provided by simply replying to the daily email itself. The first cup of coffee is gone and it's already time for a second, so let's get into it. 🚘 What I’m driving: Shuttling the kids around town to school and activities in the 2026 Polestar 4 and like the simple-to-use digital interfaces, large volume knob, and the suspension seems well tuned with the adaptive dampers despite the broken midwest pavement in the winter months, but still not fully bought into this no rear window business and relying solely on a digital rearview mirror with a video feed. ⚙️ Ford's chief of EVs says the Blue Oval [can beat China on cost and build the world's cheapest EV motors]() for its upcoming $30,000 electric truck; how the automaker can achieve this apparently simply comes down to hiring expensive people from California that have nothing to do with and no experience in Detroit that produce 20 times more than an average employee. 🚕 Waymo is [rebranding its Chinese-sourced Zeekr RT robotaxi]() as the Ojai. 🎽 The [2026 Rezvani Tank debuted]() and somehow has an even more angular exterior design; a supercharged V8 engine option with 1,000 horsepower costs $85,000. 🤖 Ford said it plans to [offer an eyes-off hands-free driver assist system]() in its $30,000 electric truck platform in 2028. 🔋 Lucid's interim CEO said the [automaker's midsize EV will come in three different body shapes](), but none of them will be a sedan as the automaker's done with that body style; the first of the three midsize EVs will debut later this year. 💥 The 2026 Subaru Forester was [named a Top Safety Pick+ by the IIHS](). ‼️ Rivian [recalled 19,641 previously serviced R1S and R1T EVs]() in the U.S. due to an incorrectly assembled rear toe link. *Have feedback on the formatting of TDS? Send us a note: tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Overseeing what you see, read, touch, hear, and interact with from the vast lakes of Minnesota, Joel Feder shapes how The Drive looks and operates as the head of content and product initiatives. On a daily basis, Joel leads the newsroom and editorial staff playing point on both short-term coverage and long-term strategic plans. His mission is to help ensure The Drive shapes the future of automotive media by helping the team execute original reporting, breaking news, and exclusive opportunities. Regarded as an industry insider and recognized by colleagues, fellow journalists, and manufacturers as a point-person and leader in the industry, Joel owns and runs the largest automotive professionals group on Facebook in an effort to serve and help others. Joel serves as a juror for the World Car Awards. In addition, he is the board chair and chair of the governance and nominating committee for Move Forward MN, a local non-profit that helps at-risk youth with barrier-free mental health and housing services. While you’re reading this he’s either on his computer or iPhone chasing the latest news or drafting a story. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]() [Bluesky]() [Email]()