Harley Lover Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 IIRC the "E" was meant to be a ground up ( read trunk space adressed )modular chassis that would be the underpinnings of several Hybrids/ plug ins...Escape/ Focus / Fusion....you name it.... I don't think Model E and Mach 1 are mutually exclusive. I *think* the Mach 1 is a rebranding of Model E - that it will be the tip of the spear for the bespoke electric chassis, and that other models might come later. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanh Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 Harley Lover...that was how i interpreted it...and because it was ground up I was under the understanding it was similar to Teslas layout....larg flat floorpan/ battery....but who knows, ford has become incredibly tightlipped / secretive about upcoming releases lately... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 Harley Lover...that was how i interpreted it...and because it was ground up I was under the understanding it was similar to Teslas layout....larg flat floorpan/ battery....but who knows, ford has become incredibly tightlipped / secretive about upcoming releases lately... Right, that's what I'm thinking as well. Musk would probably hate that Ford fought them over the Model E name, only to not use it haha (Model 3 was supposed to be E until Ford fought for and won the name). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 They could, however, tell the CEO "we want you to focus more on mobility," which could conversely be turned by the CEO into sucking resources out of the product side and putting them into the mobility stuff. Absolutely. But that decision is up to the CEO as to what gets cut or not (or find a way to finance both). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Assimilator Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 (edited) It's a fairly expensive task to rebuild a factory, that's why it's a little unusual to see them do this so late in a product's lifecycle IF they are planning to change it again short thereafter. The US Ranger also underwent some frame re-engineering specific to the US model which isn't something you do if you're planing to replace it soon. Not to mention the US Ranger also has unique body panels (Rear Fenders, Tailgate, Hood, bumpers, light fixtures) which the ROTW Ranger is not getting with their updates. The US Ranger and Thai Ranger are much more separated than the typical OneFord vehicle so I think it's possible these products are more divorced this time. Ford is slowly dismantling OneFord for a more regionalized strategy. I also believe that Ranger was held back from the US because they knew the market for the segment is not big or stable enough for one factory, and the Bronco is ultimately what made Ranger possible. The Bronco is only a year behind Ranger so it's safe to say they are both T6 based. It'll be interesting to see if the US Ranger and ROTW Ranger stay synced up with a NG model. Ford is slowly slipping back into regionalized obsolescence which is something they had largely fixed under Mullally. Edited March 12, 2018 by Assimilator Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 The changes they’re making to the plant will also support the next gen Ranger/Bronco. It won’t be wasted. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 The changes theyre making to the plant will also support the next gen Ranger/Bronco. It wont be wasted. This. Think of the Ranger we are getting as a bridge to the next gen T6 platform. I suspect that the NG ROW Ranger will be more like th NA Ranger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Assimilator Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 Doesn't that mean that the the US Ranger IS the NG Ranger? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 Doesn't that mean that the the US Ranger IS the NG Ranger? Not entirely. The cab structure is largely the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 (edited) Rumour is that North America came to FAPA wanting Ranger just as the 2018 global update was completed, so they piggy-backed that MCE and added the 2.3 EB as least intrusive engine on the last MCE before change. I'm lead to believe that Bronco will be on the evolved / next gen T6 platform and the timing will mean Nth America leads the ROW NGs by about two years.... Edited March 12, 2018 by jpd80 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 Absolutely. But that decision is up to the CEO as to what gets cut or not (or find a way to finance both). Oh for sure. My point was that it isn't necessarily a one or the other thing - both could (and I'm sure did) play a factor in it. It's a fairly expensive task to rebuild a factory, that's why it's a little unusual to see them do this so late in a product's lifecycle IF they are planning to change it again short thereafter. The US Ranger also underwent some frame re-engineering specific to the US model which isn't something you do if you're planing to replace it soon. Not to mention the US Ranger also has unique body panels (Rear Fenders, Tailgate, Hood, bumpers, light fixtures) which the ROTW Ranger is not getting with their updates. The US Ranger and Thai Ranger are much more separated than the typical OneFord vehicle so I think it's possible these products are more divorced this time. Ford is slowly dismantling OneFord for a more regionalized strategy. I also believe that Ranger was held back from the US because they knew the market for the segment is not big or stable enough for one factory, and the Bronco is ultimately what made Ranger possible. The Bronco is only a year behind Ranger so it's safe to say they are both T6 based. It'll be interesting to see if the US Ranger and ROTW Ranger stay synced up with a NG model. Ford is slowly slipping back into regionalized obsolescence which is something they had largely fixed under Mullally. Ha, I just now realized Borg is posting again haha. You bring up good/valid points - it'll be interesting to see what ultimately happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyle Posted March 13, 2018 Author Share Posted March 13, 2018 10 bucks says the Ranger doesnt hit lots in a ny significant numbers before April...........and i would LOVE to be wrong.... Not a chance in hell would I take that bet. People think the Ranger is going to sell in any measurable quantity is mistaken. The sales figures for the n txt 18 months I would wager will be down. Everyone else in the industry has new product. Ram is going to push Ford into getting aggressive as them and GM both try to get the old models off their lots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PREMiERdrum Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 Hackett sure hasn't done much better in the tone/direction part, at least thus far. Things may be happening internally, but it certainly doesn't look like it. He's a fixer, and he's doing exactly what they brought him in to do. They didn't need folksy, "aw shucks" charm.. They needed someone to direct and lead the talented people beneath them to get things back on track. Fields' pit of poor decisions will bottom out in the marketplace late this year and early next, and then we'll see the fixes Hackett was able to get underway. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 Fields' pit of poor decisions will bottom out in the marketplace late this year and early next, and then we'll see the fixes Hackett was able to get underway. The weird thing about this is that Fields had a decent track record upon till this point-and was one of the first people to embrace the changes Mullay wanted 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-150 Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 The weird thing about this is that Fields had a decent track record upon till this point-and was one of the first people to embrace the changes Mullay wanted Agreed. He didn't convince the board of a downturn they made up their own minds and gave him their blessing to proceed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 He's a fixer, and he's doing exactly what they brought him in to do. They didn't need folksy, "aw shucks" charm.. They needed someone to direct and lead the talented people beneath them to get things back on track. Fields' pit of poor decisions will bottom out in the marketplace late this year and early next, and then we'll see the fixes Hackett was able to get underway. Oh, I'm not saying he's not doing things behind the scenes - I'm sure he is - just publicly it doesn't look much different so far. And I realize it takes time to develop things and get it back on track. Perhaps the biggest annoyance to me was NAIAS - it was certainly better than last year, but again they pulled the same stunt of "hey look at this powerpoint (this year they upgraded to a video), we have things cominggggg" with the Mach 1 instead of actually showing a concept of some sort, even if it were just some sort of pie in the sky non production concept (like Evos). Then you have "big debuts" with Jim Belushi? And "big truck news" that's a Transit Connect wagon that's had 18 previous releases/presentations? Don't get me wrong, I don't know if it gets much worse than last years' NAIAS/Expy, etc. reveals, but they haven't been doing themselves any favors here this year. At least Hackett didn't sit on a chair at NAIAS and lecture everyone about "the future" of transportation like at CES. The weird thing about this is that Fields had a decent track record upon till this point-and was one of the first people to embrace the changes Mullay wanted Definitely strange indeed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 Not a chance in hell would I take that bet. People think the Ranger is going to sell in any measurable quantity is mistaken. The sales figures for the n txt 18 months I would wager will be down. Everyone else in the industry has new product. Ram is going to push Ford into getting aggressive as them and GM both try to get the old models off their lots. How is the F-150 old when it just got a refresh in the past 6 months and is adding a diesel in the spring time? I'm sure their will be another update in the next 18 months or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 Perhaps the biggest annoyance to me was NAIAS - it was certainly better than last year, but again they pulled the same stunt of "hey look at this powerpoint (this year they upgraded to a video), we have things cominggggg" with the Mach 1 instead of actually showing a concept of some sort, even if it were just some sort of pie in the sky non production concept (like Evos). Then you have "big debuts" with Jim Belushi? And "big truck news" that's a Transit Connect wagon that's had 18 previous releases/presentations? Don't get me wrong, I don't know if it gets much worse than last years' NAIAS/Expy, etc. reveals, but they haven't been doing themselves any favors here this year. At least Hackett didn't sit on a chair at NAIAS and lecture everyone about "the future" of transportation like at CES. I'm starting to wonder if who is ever in change of the show circuit has had some sort of funding issues-Ford has been completely stepping on their dicks with auto shows as of late, which is making people go WTF with upcoming product. Hopefully it gets addressed before the start of the next round of shows end of this year. I know Mually wasn't a fan of showing off product that doesn't lead to anything-I wonder if that was the start of this. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 (edited) How is the F-150 old when it just got a refresh in the past 6 months and is adding a diesel in the spring time? I'm sure their will be another update in the next 18 months or so. Farley said F-150 will be getting the hybrid in 2020 (I think for 2021 MY), which should mean all new then (and I'm guessing it'll be "all new" in the way the '09 was - using the same cab structure, but redoing basically everything else). I'm starting to wonder if who is ever in change of the show circuit has had some sort of funding issues-Ford has been completely stepping on their dicks with auto shows as of late, which is making people go WTF with upcoming product. Hopefully it gets addressed before the start of the next round of shows end of this year. I know Mually wasn't a fan of showing off product that doesn't lead to anything-I wonder if that was the start of this. I don't mind the not showing off product that doesn't lead to anything idea. How many great Cadillac concept shave we seen that go nowhere? But when the highlight of the shows is "look at this powerpoint" and there's nothing to show otherwise, they should show something. To be fair, though, Ford has also shot themselves in the foot at many of these shows by showing the product the night/a few days before the actual show. I realize it's to get all the press/not be lost in the sea of debuts, but then when the show rolls around, it's hey, here's the thing we already showed you! But hey, we have this shiny powerpoint! Edited March 13, 2018 by rmc523 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 Agreed. He didn't convince the board of a downturn they made up their own minds and gave him their blessing to proceed. The board doesn't make up market forecasts. Fields says this is our forecast and this is our plan to address it and this is what the financials look like and this is how much I need to spend and here is the expected profits. And the board either agrees or pushes back. These board members are not automotive experts. I'm sure Fields had data that supported the expected downturn. But in the end it's still the CEO's plan and the CEO is accountable for the results, not the board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 The weird thing about this is that Fields had a decent track record upon till this point-and was one of the first people to embrace the changes Mullay wanted There is a difference between being a follower and being a leader. He was apparently pretty good at implementing Mulally's strategy but not very good at coming up with his own strategy. I also suspect there were always executives who wanted to do things the old way but Mulally wouldn't let them get away with it. Fields may not have been as successful at keeping them in line. That seems to be a rare quality in a CEO nowadays and Mulally was an expert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
30 OTT 6 Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 There is a difference between being a follower and being a leader. He was apparently pretty good at implementing Mulally's strategy but not very good at coming up with his own strategy. I also suspect there were always executives who wanted to do things the old way but Mulally wouldn't let them get away with it. Fields may not have been as successful at keeping them in line. That seems to be a rare quality in a CEO nowadays and Mulally was an expert. Mulally wasn't exactly ground breaking. He started implementing strategies that other global automakers (e.g. VW, Toyota) were already doing. His strongest attribute was not being trapped in the Ford culture. Bill Ford wanted him for this reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanh Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 Kyle...compact truck segment is apparently up 38%...not too many markets reflect that type of growth...that said I do wonder if its partly because the ever inflating F-150 and half ton competitors MSRP's are becoming a turn off......( that should light some flamethrowers.....lol ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 Mulally wasn't exactly ground breaking. He started implementing strategies that other global automakers (e.g. VW, Toyota) were already doing. His strongest attribute was not being trapped in the Ford culture. Bill Ford wanted him for this reason. No it's not ground breaking at all, but it seems to be rare to get a CEO who can change the culture of an entire company like he did, even if some of it was temporary. I remember his first meeting at Ford. The executives came in with huge binders that obviously required a full time staff to keep up to date. And when they shared their financial results they redacted some of the numbers - hiding them from the others. Mulally called BS right away. He told them to share everything - there were no secrets. He told them to ditch those binders and they were only allowed a single sheet of paper. He forced them to tell the truth and to be open and honest with each other. He forced them to do what's right for the company and not just what's right for them and those who didn't do that were eliminated. That's leadership and that's how you change the culture. When Fields took over it seems those principles left for Seattle with Mulally. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasonj80 Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 Fields tenure at Ford can pretty much be sumed up with If you cant blind them with brilliance, baffle them with Bull S*** worked well for him until the point he hit CEO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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