jpd80

Yeah and it’s been saying that for the past six months….

Why is Farley still receiving a bonus for being such a terrible manager? The board should be cutting his and all the Senior VPs’ bonuses until KPIs are met.

Yes, that one has been getting around for a few years now. Everyone got excited when a patent was leaked regarding electric FWD, particularly when people noticed splines on S550 front hubs but I think that was because they were a borrow from C2 or that supplier… Internationally, the V8 Mustang is the default chosen by buyers because if you’re already paying a premium you may as well get the upper model V8s. Even though GT500 was not available to Australia, Ford commissioned Harrop Engineering to deliver a limited number of supercharged Mustangs with similar specs to the GT500. Ford has not built a single S650 in RHD, and boy are those (return) buyers pissed….

The less obvious elephant in the room, It’s engrained in most US buyers that they purchase a vehicle with more capability than they actually need. That is a huge personal preference/bias to overcome especially when both sales staff and manufacturers reinforce that belief with upselling, the customer perceives value in that as well as better resale value. No disrespect intended to people wondering why so many folks would choose a less efficient vehicle choice but the reality is there and by golly, manufacturers have used it for decades to cash in on customer impulse purchases and even just wants and needs Conversely, places like Europe are more programmed into smaller more efficient vehicles exactly because of decades of higher vehicles prices, fuel and registration costs, narrower streets and now things like ZEV zones where non electrified vehicles are taxed for entering. My own country, Australia is completely different again, similar size to USA but a population of only 26 million, 85% of which lives within 100 miles of the coast. All six state capitals are located on the coast and account for roughly 15.5 million people. So we are a weird mix of situation where hybrids and BEVs probably make sense in coastal areas but ICEs mostly diesels ar required the further inland you go. Maybe this colors my judgement when discussing other regions and if so I apologise in advance.

Correct, the EU is very protective of its own market, this is turning into a giant mess..

Yeah, Isorry I screwed that up. Mustang was supposed to be the launch of the 2.3 EB PHEV

I dunno, the original 2.3 BEV drivetrain was supposed to debut in the Mustang but then was cancelled (maybe Ford not wanting to interfere with BEV sales). If indeed a hybrid or PHEV Mustang is being planned, I don’t think that it will do what people in the snow states want/expect, particularly if still just RWD.

Mostly at European ports, looks like a mixture of falling buyer interest in them possibly exacerbated by reductions in subsidies. The other looming issue here is that the EU takes a dim view of manufacturers that seem to be “dumping” vehicles into its market, something that could be made worse if Chinese EVs have discounted prices to move them

In other news, entitled billionaire wonders why Tesla buyers don't like him anymore after he started calling them woke…

Seriously, Ford has been down/right sizing to market need ever since Mulally, all of that is just code for building less and charging more and banking profit from not expending as much labor and resources to get it. Like it or hate it, that’s what Ford has become in its pursuit of %return on revenue. Instead of worrying about what ifs that may be years to come, Ford prioritises production of its most profitable models and costs production of other models to make that happen (saw it with chip shortages and other parts supply issues). Even when Ford fouls up, it makes sure that it’s poor sellers still get sold and they just move on and try again with something else.

Interesting……market is sluggish at the moment but won’t always be like that…. Wonder if the capacity could be used for more Super Duty Trucks, I’m probably not thinking the right way…

Yes and to reinforce your point, BEV Silverado seems to be having issues with those Ultium gel packs, am I wrong in thinking GM took a short cut with this technology that now seems to be biting them in the rear…

Thank you for being patient with me, and agree.

On the contrary, The vehicles for Oakville were transferred from Cuautitlan after being delayed two years and redesigned, so by the time they arrive they will be delayed four years and hopefully, not only up to date but cutting edge. Double the production cost, Mach E was a massive redesign, so basically double the funding was thrown at it to correct not only the styling error but also the inadequate battery and driveline which were simply extensions of what was used in the previous E Focus. None of that was going to work. Priority, The need for a quickly developed Lightning meant that it went first while Ford delayed it’s answer to the Silverado BEV. The current Lightning allowed Ford to get a BEV truck up and running faster, the lessons learned for the current Lightning are still continuing which is why Ford is already revising T3 batteries, there much to be grateful about this pull back as Ford was always going to struggle with battery range looking inadequate. The biggest gift will be if the Cybertruck turns out to be a disappointment to the many eager buyers …..hopefully Tesla plays its part and snatches defeat from the jaws of victory Whats not mentioned anywhere is that Ford has had a good look under the hood of VW and that MEB tool kit, deciding it didn’t need the over priced batteries, the VW controller or the drives and motors……LOL, with the Ford top hats, there’s not much VW left in them… Maybe I should have said this first…. I probably sound critical of Ford and I apologise for the high horse attitude. I just want Ford to be the best it can be and not settle for just good enough, get out in front and lead….

And that’s exactly my point, Ford took off with large design teams developing their key vehicles but, the efficiencies from the skunkworks aren’t just this type of battery or that control system…Ford compared what was done between the developments and discovered that much of the efficiency gains comes from not doing the conventional development way that Ford did…they need someone to think outside of the box and show them where all the unnecessary, redundant steps are in the process and look at new way to do everything…..especially cutting the time to make vehicles. An ex Tesla engineering manager is the perfect person to show them how it’s done.