Take that, Elon Musk: Ford CEO dares Tesla boss

SAN FRANCISCO: Drawing a comparison between Tesla's long-delayed Cybertruck and Ford's plug-in pick up -- F-150 Lightning, Ford CEO Jim Farley took a dig at tech billionaire Elon Musk while announcing a major investment in a solar energy.

According to The Verge, Farley spoke at a Ford plant in Michigan to announce a deal with DTE Energy that both companies billed as 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.

"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.