they are in uncharted territory with no crystal ball to accurately predict demand or product success. Take a look at Ford's stock price over the last couple years. They've been absolutely bleeding money on the whole. The massive multi-billion $ investments in Ford Blue, Oval City and battery ventures requires billions and billions and loans at the best credit rates they can get. Cheap $ is gone due to inflation and rising interest rates. Thier credit rating is critical to borrowing affordably to fund all the expansion. If they had a big enough miss on a multi-billion $ gamble on a product like Maverick it could literally bankrupt the company. No joke. Look at the big picture.
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Auto industry is littered with failed companies, mergers, rebirths, etc. from the beginning. It was a risk they had to take though because they eliminated all their entry level passenger/family vehicles while more efficient competitors did not. Compete or go out of business is/was the only choice. Electrification risk was hedged by breaking company into 2 separate parts for ICE and EV. They are relying on cash cows of Truck business and Mustang and fleet sales and cutaways to provide enough consistent income to fund the EV side until those gambles pay off or the division folds and they fall back to a smaller, more focused ICE business as long as they can ride it out.
