So Ford admits it's working on a long range EV after all....

[triangles]

http://www.autonews.com/article/201...planning-ev-to-compete-with-chevy-bolt-tesla.
At first I though this was satire when they said ford would use the "Model E" monicker. If this is to be made in mexico as the article states, I bet it will be made where they are moving the Focus production to. This means it won't be out till at least 2019 or 2020.

 

[jmueller065]

Fields didn’t say how soon such a vehicle could go on sale. Ford is expected to call it the “Model E” and assemble it starting in 2019 at a new plant in Mexico that the company announced earlier this month.

I think this whole paragraph is pure speculation; based on a few things:

• Ford is moving the Focus assembly to the new plant in Mexico (announced by Ford)
• Therefore the new "model E" would also be built there based on a Focus (because the FFE is a Focus? speculation)
• "Model E" simply because of the whole trademark dispute between Ford & Tesla

Other than Fields getting blindsided in the earnings report call (which probably prompted him to say "yeah we're going to do it too!" and thus causing a panic somewhere in Ford where the engineers go "oh crap now we have to build one!") the rest is just made up stuff...

Sorry not very bullish on Ford until I walk into a dealer and can write a check for that 200 mile EV sitting on the lot.

 

[cpwl]

This certainly does seem like a lot of speculation given that Mark Fields’ quotation was but a single sentence that seems to be a begrudging acknowledgement that the competition have forced Ford into something it really doesn’t have any internal inclination to pursue.

While the article talks of building the new platform in Mexico, calling a Model E an presenting it in various powertrain configurations there really is no evidence to support any of those comments. In fact, if Ford is going to do the 200 mile range BEV there is little sense to offering it with PHEV or HEV powertrains. As much as I have called for a Fusion/MKZ platform based 200 mile range BEV from Ford such a platform really needs to be developed from a “clean sheet” on its own merits rather than compromise the project from its very initiation. Go all in, don’t compromise the final product by having it share a chassis with an ICE powertrain and reap the benefits of an “honest effort”.

If Ford is really going to do this it is quite bewildering that they are being so evasive and not contacting FFE owners to get our input as to what we would like to see in the 200 mile range BEV as an initial market survey/product definition step. There are less than 3000 of us so it shouldn’t be an onerous task to survey, collate, analyze and draw valid conclusions.

I’m perhaps a bit less pessimistic than Jamie and will accept that Ford has been genuine when I can test drive a demo without haranguing a dealership for 3 months to bring one in and can then order one with a delivery time of less than 3 months.

Thanks and Cheers

Carl

 

[MNEV]

In fact, if Ford is going to do the 200 mile range BEV there is little sense to offering it with PHEV or HEV powertrains.

One of the cold realities for EV's is that gas will be cheap for a while. The Saudi's are content to keep oil around $40 a barrel; high enough for them to make money but low enough to discourage supply expansion. This means gas will stay in a $2-3 dollar range (barring issues with local refinery capacity). This will continue to make PHEV and HEV attractive, particularly in the bigger chassis such as light duty trucks and such.

At the low gas prices, the cost per mile of "fueling" between EV and a 50 mpg (which seems to be where new midsized hybrid sedans are starting to push) hybrid narrows considerably. There is a big break on maintenance costs but most people do not consider total cost of ownership.

I think Ford has long banked on the post sales revenue streams and thus prefers the hybrid and PHEV over BEV. You can keep your service departments and part suppliers happy with hybrids.

 

[triangles]

Sorry not very bullish on Ford until I walk into a dealer and can write a check for that 200 mile EV sitting on the lot.

I couldn't agree more.

My next car will definitely be an EV. As much as I love my FFE, I don't think ford could come up with something that I would prefer over a Tesla M3 for my next vehicle. I don't want to bash GM but I have a number of personal reasons I will never buy one of their vehicles ever again so the bolt is off the table for my next car. It will be interesting to see what Nissan, VW and others come up with.