‘Take that, Elon Musk’: Ford CEO takes a jibe at Tesla boss over EV pick-up truck

Ford CEO Jim Farley poked fun at tech tycoon Elon Musk by equating Tesla's long-delayed Cybertruck with Ford's plug-in pickup, the F-150 Lightning while announcing a large investment in solar power. The Verge reports that Farley announced a deal with DTE Energy at a Ford plant in Michigan, calling it the "largest renewable energy purchase from a utility in US history."

But after touting the company`s move to more sustainable sources, he made a quick jab at his main rival in the EV space, whom he has praised for helping spur the industry toward electric vehicles.

"We are really on a mission at Ford to lead an electric and digital revolution for many, not few. And I have to say the shining light for us at Ford is this beautiful Lightning made right down the road in Dearborn, right here in the state of Michigan, already the leader of all EV pickup trucks in our industry in the US," he was quoted as saying.

Also read: Elon Musk-led Tesla making false claims about self-driving vehicles: US agency

"Take that, Elon Musk," he added. First announced in 2019, the Tesla Cybertruck was initially supposed to go into production in 2021, but Musk has said that it will now kick off in mid-2023.

Meanwhile, the F-150 Lightning is currently the bestselling electric truck in the market, outselling the only other two entrants, the Rivian R1T, and GMC Hummer EV. Farley`s comment was likely intended as a light-hearted dig at Musk, who has also used the Ford F-150 as a benchmark by which to measure the Cybertruck`s power and performance.

With inputs from IANS