Ford & Rivian: A Wobbly Ride?

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Now, Ford and Rivian… a curious pair indeed. Ford, a grand old beast, seems to be doing a bit of a jig-a-jig, stepping back from the electric contraptions as if they’d given it a nasty rash. Rivian, a younger whippersnapper, is charging full steam ahead, building only these silent, battery-powered machines. Both choices, you see, could lead to riches… or a rather spectacular tumble. But does that mean you should be handing over your hard-earned pennies? Let’s have a look, shall we?

Ford’s Funny Turn

Ford, bless its rusty heart, is a company built on engines that cough and splutter. They’ve dabbled in these electric doohickeys, but it seems the sums weren’t quite adding up. Demand, you see, wasn’t exactly leaping off the shelves like sugared plums. So, they’re having a bit of a rethink, focusing on less flashy models and those hybrid things – a sort of halfway house for the petrol-guzzlers. They’ve even decided to abandon the all-electric version of their F-150 truck – a bit like throwing a perfectly good sweet in the bin, if you ask me.

This little maneuver will cost them a whopping $19.5 billion – a sum so large it could buy you a small country (with slightly grumpy inhabitants, no doubt). But, and this is the clever bit, it might actually make the company more profitable in the long run. If you’re the patient sort, willing to wait for the fruit to ripen, it could be a decent punt. However, the stock is currently bobbing about near its highest point in a year. It’s a bit like trying to catch a greased piglet – expensive and rather messy. The price-to-earnings ratio is a tad inflated, and while the other numbers aren’t dreadful, you’re paying a full price, possibly even a bit extra. If you’re a bargain hunter, you might want to look elsewhere.

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Rivian’s Risky Roll

Rivian, now they’re a different kettle of fish. They make these rather splendid, but terribly expensive, electric trucks. They’re currently working on the R2 – a slightly less extravagant model, designed to tempt a wider audience. The idea is to spread the costs across more vehicles, so they don’t have to sell a kidney to keep the lights on. They’ve shown it off, of course, but it’s still just a shiny promise at this stage.

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They’ve got the funds to get the R2 rolling, so it should arrive in 2026 as planned. The real question is whether enough people will actually want to buy it. That’s a question only time can answer. It’s a bit like baking a cake and hoping someone will actually eat it. Conservative investors would be wise to wait and see how the R2 performs before risking their money. Even the more adventurous might want to hold their horses, given how crucial this launch is.

A Wobbly Investment?

All in all, neither Ford nor Rivian is screaming “buy me!” right this very moment. A dip in Ford’s price or a successful launch of the R2 could change things, of course. For now, it’s probably best to keep these two on your watchlist – a bit like keeping an eye on a mischievous monkey. You never know what it might do next.

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2026-02-08 04:32