Anyone getting Concerned that Ford is not in on EV for the long haul

[earlyadopt]

Ford isn't going to be all in on EVs until their customers are. They have to make a profit, or they won't exist.

I don't disagree, If there is no balance, then it is like eating your young. Technology is moving so darn quick. If you are not in the game, you will be relegated to a very small market of ICE vehicles. That being the case, stop trying to remove competition for EV with high Tariffs. Not sure this is what you call a free market after all

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[anewbe]

Financially I ALREADY know that I would have been better off FINANCIALLY with an ICE 150. But I am EMOTIONALLY better off with the Lightning. It's a joy every time I get in and drive.

I completely understand your point of view. That being said, I calculated that based on gas prices in my area (central Texas) I will have saved 15K at 100K miles. With a decent trade in It will be a win, win. I really like it when something works out emotionally and financially. I essentially get free electricity due to a solar installation at my house which has paid for itself several years ago. That was a big driving factor in my decision to make the Lightning purchase.

 

[Scorpio3d]

All is well. I have two EVs and they aren't going anywhere.

Perhaps better wording!

 

[Danface]

Not sure the term "Too big to fail" is accurate. 2008 saw major bale outs to the big three. GM were giving a dividend while loosing money. The ultimate demonstration of stupid. Once the self driving car is perfected to the point of full adoption, car Manufactures will drop like flies. Only the strongest will survive. The lack of good execution still concerns me. The constant pushing back of new products and more importantly, the lack of software updates is a huge concern. The fact we are driving a computer should be a big consideration. How many of us would feel comfortable investing $60,000 in a computer system that runs on a proprietary software that no other software would work, in addition to the hardware service. Would you consider the future of that company and if they would be around?
This is an added element to the buying process, no longer can a back alley mechanic work on your truck.

The Big Three are still here so the bail outs did "do something" (including enabling rewarding really stupid decision making). I don't see self driving cars as an immediate death knell to the large manufactures because there will be momentum in the existing base for long enough for them to build or buy their way forward.

I do have thoughts about the proprietary nature of the way things are with the manufactures and if the RECENT past (meaning not the past that wasn't afraid to standards like 120 volt, 60 cycles for electricty but the recent past that let the wireless vendors duke out GSM vs CDMA unlike the EU where GSM was mandated) then we will be in the "wild west" for some time. It would be great if the manufactures had something like IEEE standards but I'm not holding my breath, look how long Verizon to fully go to GSM.

Frankly, I just drive the truck and ignore all the user facing software that's extraneous to the actual operation of the truck. While I do drive a computer, as long as the OS allows me to operate it safely then I'm OK. I'm just trying to go from Point A to Point B, not to try to play Tetris with it ... but that's just me .

 

[Scorpio3d]

Tell that to the Chinese manufactures. They are coming out with more and more advances and the N.A car companies are backing away. Not the posture of a winning strategy. Shareholders first, with the eventual demise of the company in the long term.

I don’t think we know the quality or the longevity of any of the Chinese EV’s. For all I know people in China could be posting on forums complaining about all the issues they are having with their EVs. Oh wait, the Chinese government would not allow that!!
There is an old saying about putting lipstick on a pig meaning:
making superficial or cosmetic changes to a product in a futile effort to disguise its fundamental failings.
I am not saying that this is the case. It appears that they have made great progress, but what I am saying is that we just don’t know. Not to mention the fact that we don’t know how safe they are (Do they meet our safety standards? ) and if they could even sell them in the US or North America.

 

[invertedspear]

So much so that we looked at the Rivian. Test drove a used one at a traditional car dealer. They had no clue ho to sell it. On top of that, One-Pedal driving made it an impossible sell to my wife - she hated driving it on first impression. Other than that, the Rivian would have been perfect replacement for the Explorer. It was a very nice vehicle.

I know it's not the point of the thread, but so much agreement with this. R1S is a freaking great vehicle, and I had my invite for the R1T before I could order my lightning. The sticking point is 1PD. Ford NAILED the blended braking features in the Lightning and MME that allows a great scale between full 1PD and various levels of regen to almost nothing. Everyone can have their preference, except I actually want a "whisper" mode in the lightning. Getting this type of driving in a 3-row SUV would have been ideal for many drivers.

 

[earlyadopt]

I don’t think we know the quality or the longevity of any of the Chinese EV’s. For all I know people in China could be posting on forums complaining about all the issues they are having with their EVs. Oh wait, the Chinese government would not allow that!!
There is an old saying about putting lipstick on a pig meaning:
making superficial or cosmetic changes to a product in a futile effort to disguise its fundamental failings.
I am not saying that this is the case. It appears that they have made great progress, but what I am saying is that we just don’t know. Not to mention the fact that we don’t know how safe they are (Do they meet our safety standards? ) and if they could even sell them in the US or North America.

All great points, sounds similar to what was said about the Japanese car manufactures back in the 70-80. That experiment netted some of the best cars ever made at the time. Had that not happened, I am not sure what cars would be like now.
My point is simple, question the N.A. automakers hard on facts, they watch these blogs. If enough people question them, then they see real negative feedback and alter course. If they ignore it like back in the 70-80, then they repeat thier mistakes and the market moves without them.
Believe me, they are watching the comments. The fact I have two Fords should speak volumes

 

[earlyadopt]

I know it's not the point of the thread, but so much agreement with this. R1S is a freaking great vehicle, and I had my invite for the R1T before I could order my lightning. The sticking point is 1PD. Ford NAILED the blended braking features in the Lightning and MME that allows a great scale between full 1PD and various levels of regen to almost nothing. Everyone can have their preference, except I actually want a "whisper" mode in the lightning. Getting this type of driving in a 3-row SUV would have been ideal for many drivers.

Great point! Easy software change.

Perhaps better wording!

Certainly hope still drive well. EV's are amazing to drive. Oh, was this a figurative and not actual speaking comment? LOL

 

[Zprime29]

Either they pay a 100% tariff or they settle for substandard product.

Are you implying that what the Chinese are making is not substandard? I'd love to see a price/feature comparison. Personally, I don't trust anything from China that has so much tech in it. We bash on Ford hoovering up our data, drop in the ocean compared to what China would be taking.

 

[FloridaMan655321]

Ford did NOT get bailed out by the government in 2008. GM and Chrysler did. Ford survived on its own.

Ford did get bailed out, just not the same way that GM and Chrysler did

 

[FirstF150InCasco]

Correct, Ford was going to build the vehicle at a plant in Oakville with the help of the Provincial government here. They dumped that idea and are now brining the Super duty 350 to the plant. My Ford dealership thought this was a good idea. Frankly I am not fully sure why. It almost feels like they put the vehicle into "R" for race and hit the gas! LOL
"We are all in on EV but we are building big gas guzzlers and by the way, stop China from coming in, we need another 2 decades to complete with them" The joys of free market

It made perfect sense for Ford to switcht the plant over to making Super Duty's. Ford's two Super Duty factors are running three shifts and they STILL cannot make as many as the dealers want to buy. And why spend a ton of money on a 3-row SUV with technology that's not profitable. I like the tact that they are updating the tech to be profitable within 12 months of a new model launch. Once that tech is available, it would be easy to launch a 3-row SUV if the market needed it.

 

[Scorpio3d]

Ford did get bailed out, just not the same way that GM and Chrysler did

Taking out loans as much different than a bail out. The federal government takes out trillions of dollars in loans to fund itself. This is how we have a national debt.
I took out a loan for my house.
All large companies pit states against each other to get subsidies when they build new or rebuild large infrastructure. Boeing did it years ago when they were searching for a new manufacturing facility as have countless other companies.

 

[KevinTisdale1]

My 2023 Lariate ER is great on long trips. The nav is set to only go to hyper speed charges. It never makes me fill up. It just tells how many miles to get to the next hyper speed charger. I am almost done with the trip. Last 300 miles.

 

[Effonefiddy Lightning]

The market and manufactures are going to do what's best to stay alive and government needs to stay in their lane.

 

[Maximum Effort]

Don't believe anything you read online without proper sources.

Most of the hate is online and it's mostly bot posts and reposts by the undereducated who believe everything they see on Facebook.

Ford has put billions, billions of dollars into their ev's, they're not going anywhere anytime soon.

Sales are up, adoption is up.

I don't plan on ever going back to a gas truck.

Agree on all of the above!

I also will never go back to a gas truck. Even if that means switching brands after being a loyal ford guy for 30+ years!

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