In the news... Ford says it will burn $3 billion on EV's this year. Still not hearing anything on improving the power grid. Who's driving to increase the power grid capacity with green energy?



Ford says it will burn $3 billion on EVs this year, in a bleak signal for the cars that underpin its future (msn.com)

 

I’m really confused what ford is doing. Say they want the ICE division to subsidize EVs, yet their Bronco ordering process is a dumpster fire, their f150s are piling up on dealer lots with months of days in inventory, while the SD production and ordering is also a dumpster fire for 23. It seemed like they really didn’t want my money this year.

 

In that same vein, you can't get a Maverick unless you order it and then it takes months to get it in.

I was reading an article yesterday stating that GM is putting the Camaro back out to pasture in 2024 due to dismal sales performance. It also seems that the Challenger and Charger are heading for greener pastures as well. How long before Ford nixes it's pony car in favor of another unreliable ute? It seems now that Ford is building six of the ten least reliable vehicles available.

 

Ford will be just fine. They just started breaking out their EV division because they want it to be considered separately from their legacy operations, which makes sense.

Has anyone heard of a startup company turning a profit during their first couple of years in production? Seems unreasonable to expect their EV division to do otherwise while they are scaling up to meet demand. The power grid doomerism is entirely beside the point, and a complete nonissue. The Y2K of our current generation.

 

The problem is that Ford is not a start up company. They have a customer base, one of the best selling vehicle platforms of all time and have been around for 120 years or so. They have (had) the financial fortitude, manufacturing knowledge and consumer confidence to delve into the EV "game".

In my humble arm chair opinion, they seem to have lost their way. I don't know if that is due to the government laws steering them, company leadership or the change from one fuel source to another. I know that I am very glad to not be in the vehicle market right now.

I saw that the EU recently changed course on their ICE vehicle ban with the help of "E-Fuel". It seems that we "tin foil hat wearers" are not the only ones seeing some roadblocks, potholes and bodies laying in the figurative road ahead.

 

This is the kind of stuff that makes me say "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot"...

Does Ford remember the convertible PT Cruiser?

Link: https://fordauthority.com/2023/04/20...op-top-pickup/

Maybe I am way off base, but in my opinion Ford should be focusing on customer relations/loyalty, product reliability and competitive pricing.

 

I don't see the disconnect. Their main-line cars are selling, and they still turned an overall profit last year despite burning a ton of cash standing up their EV line. Isn't that how it should be done? Pay for EV investment with fat profits off the legacy brand?

Tesla seems to be the brand that most automakers fear right now. They went from upstart niche automaker to major player in less than two decades, and they're turning a healthy profit. They didn't turn a profit until 2020 as they achieved economies of scale. The Model Y is the fourth-bestselling vehicle in the world right now, which is just behind the Toyota Corolla. It took huge EV production and sales volumes to turn a profit, and it took years of burning cash to get there. I think Ford is trying to achieve these economies of scale, and profits will take time. As long as their ICE business can keep the lights on in the meantime, I think they'll do just fine.

Not as much. The roadblocks, potholes, and bodies in question were German labor unions and exotic vehicle manufacturers. Ferrari wants to keep selling V12s, and people who work in engine plants like their jobs. Vehicles that would comply with these requirements are high-end sports cars, and the fuel is expected to be prohibitively expensive for anyone of ordinary means. I don't see these vehicles actually making it to production because of how difficult it will be to feed and fix them.

These carbon-neutral e-fuels are being championed by Porsche, Ferrari, and others as a way to retain some of their heritage. They're even more energy-intensive to produce than regular fuel, and nobody has figured out how to make them at a cost that comes anywhere close to regular gasoline.


Totally agree about competitive pricing, and they've totally lost it with their EVs. But that Maverick is one of the best values on the road right now. I hadn't seen the convertible Maverick before, and it's not something I would have expected. The Maverick is more of a value "lifestyle" truck, and I could see a market for one with a drop top.

 

You do know what today is right? LOL

 

Haaaa! I missed the date on that one. They got me, too.

 

Oh shoot... I saw that when we were packing to head up to TN for the day and forgot about the date.

I sincerely hope it is a joke.

Thanks again sir.

 

They got me with the same thing last year except a convertible F150.

 

Having two divisions only creates division in the company. Can only imagine how the employees feel in the companies ICE division who's profits are proping up the EV division. I bet moral in the ICE division will suffer and ultimately quality.

 

Which multibillion $$ corporation do you own and can compare with to make that statement?

 

Have you looked at the other subforums on this site outside of the EV ones?

 

I worked for a company for 30 years and during the mid 1990's it was divided into 3 divisions. Sea, Ocean Bottom, and Land. It was a complete disaster and later with a new president was changed back to 1 division that was unified and worked and later became the leader in our industry.

With a president who has divided the company, say's it will take 2 years to fix Ford's Quality problem (which is eternity for the car industry), the real question is why is Jim Farley still employed.