Ford slows its push into electric vehicles

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Ford Motor Co. on Thursday delayed the production of at least two new electric cars and said it would pivot to making more hybrids..

Its decision was the latest sign that large automakers have been forced to rethink their strategy for electric vehicles because sales for those models are slowing...

The shift by Ford and automakers such as General Motors and Mercedes-Benz, which have also pushed back their electric car plans, has been prompted largely by the companies' difficulties in making and selling enough electric cars and doing so profitably...

Some consumers are also reluctant to buy electric models because they can't charge the vehicles at home or are worried that there won't be enough public chargers available when they want to travel more than a couple of hundred miles...

Many car buyers interested in electric vehicles appear to be choosing hybrid cars, which can cost just a few hundred dollars more than comparable gasoline-only models and in some cases offer much better fuel economy..