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Old Henry was right

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I still don't understand the rush to build a substandard vehicle, that nobody wants.
Tesla makes its money from carbon credits, I'm not sure they actually make a profit from vehicles themselves.

I'm fine with them building electric alternatives. The rate at which they're selling proves their demand. The wife and I just picked up a plug-in hybrid Lincoln Aviator and I love that I get 22 miles of electric driving every day at a minimum from it before having the gas engine assist when needed. The F150 won't be for those looking to tow, but the amount of guys I know in our neighborhood alone with full size trucks that have never once utilized the hitch is staggering. For them the electric F150 would likely be a great alternative to what they're driving today.
 
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I'm fine with them building electric alternatives. The rate at which they're selling proves their demand. The wife and I just picked up a plug-in hybrid Lincoln Aviator and I love that I get 22 miles of electric driving every day at a minimum from it before having the gas engine assist when needed. The F150 won't be for those looking to tow, but the amount of guys I know in our neighborhood alone with full size trucks that have never once utilized the hitch is staggering. For them the electric F150 would likely be a great alternative to what they're driving today.
A hybrid makes total sense to me. Another ( of many) issues with EVs is that the current electrical ( non commercial) neighborhood electrical infrastructure is only good for about 2 cars out of 12 houses.

 
From the manufacturing perspective, I believe Henry Ford was right to keep whatever He could "in house" to have more control on quality and availability in producing what He offered and sold to the masses.My former employer believed in that same principle when He founded his company (a world famous helicopter maker). After his company was absorbed by a major player in the aviation business and after his death, things began to change.Now most things are "farmed out" to sub contractors for cost savings......sad but true for profit margins today...............
 
From the manufacturing perspective, I believe Henry Ford was right to keep whatever He could "in house" to have more control on quality and availability in producing what He offered and sold to the masses.My former employer believed in that same principle when He founded his company (a world famous helicopter maker). After his company was absorbed by a major player in the aviation business and after his death, things began to change.Now most things are "farmed out" to sub contractors for cost savings......sad but true for profit margins today...............
That's the nature of business and capitalism. Stockholders aren't going to be satisfied with a continual profit margin for decades. If that chart isn't moving up and to the right then you're a failure and all options are on the table to get that chart moving in that direction.
 
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Which vehicle is sub-standard, and which does nobody want? Ford is killing it selling Mach-E's and almost certainly will with the Lightning.

Maybe a thread should be started with the title, "Who made up their mind years ago, and is unable to process new information?"
 
Which vehicle is sub-standard, and which does nobody want? Ford is killing it selling Mach-E's and almost certainly will with the Lightning.

Maybe a thread should be started with the title, "Who made up their mind years ago, and is unable to process new information?"

People are upset that the actual towing capabilities of the new electric F150 are hot garbage, but of course it is. That's not where the electric product shines and why Ford is still producing F250's and F350's as fast as they can.
 
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People are upset that the actual towing capabilities of the new electric F150 are hot garbage, but of course it is. That's not where the electric product shines and why Ford is still producing F250's and F350's as fast as they can.

Precisely.
 

JDee

Ancient Racer
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5 miles from Mosport
I'm thinking about buying a plug in hybrid for my next DD, but it's a tough sell. $10K minimum over the equivalent gasser, and our power rates are not exactly cheap and I think I'd likely need another power panel put in the house. Plus 95% of my driving is on highway, not around town.
Still head scratching about it, for sure it doesn't cash flow on any level.
 

Bill Pemberton

0ld Ford Automotive Racing Terror
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Blair, Nebraska
Innovation is almost always frowned upon when it is a " Big Change " to humans, most of who will resist a something they don't like. I have, most of my life, embraced change as something that gave me something new to sell or because it was exciting. I think this discussion will go on for decades because it will take that and more to get things transformed over and likely even by mid Century we will be still producing some ICE vehicles. Ford's comment years back that by 2030 they would be 40% electric means we are not completely listening since that means around 7 years from now we will only have ...............drum roll..........a 60% choice of ICE vehicles to choose from.

Many of us on this site will not be around to even see the majority of vehicles on the road being electric, and I have faith in the inability of US infrastructure to move at a fast enough pace to be ready anyway. Rational, logical thought tells us we are getting wound up for little reason and even the naysayers admit a Hybrid sounds intriguing. Of course , living in Nebraska, with some of the lowest utility rates in North America, plugging in a vehicle at night but still being able to travel across a large State makes a Hybrid very reasonable to many.

Just saying and thoughts from Ford about Tesla are no surprise. Add in Mr. Musk's wacky thoughts and movements of the past months and that makes one wonder even more!

One last reality thought, how many years ago was the US Public told we needed small cars and everyone had a plethora of choices, but the consumer in our little Capitalistic Country said in a relatively short period, " We would prefer more trucks and SUVs, instead. " We saw smaller vehicles disappear from the landscape and many Manufacturers actually discontinued their models. The article fails, in my mind, to address that Tesla is a car focused company, and with a truck that is beyond hideous, the benefit of being the " World's Biggest Truck Maker " gives me the feeling that Tesla will find itself struggling to adapt to changing buyer's needs when there are a lot of options. They have existed in a World of few options and that will be drastically changed in the next decade by Ford, GM, and Stellantis imho.
 
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You have to wonder what Henry Ford would think of today's world......Would He understand and encompass what's happening now???...or would He stand by His own beliefs and say we are headed in the wrong direction?????....Wisdom ,sometimes, stands the test of time..................................................................
 

TMSBOSS

Spending my pension on car parts and track fees.
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Illinois
Thankfully, ICE vehicles don’t burn. :banghead: :hellyeah:
“C” what I mean? :hellyeah:

Its interesting to see GM Is Backing down from their virtue signaling and admitting to the fact that ICE will not simply melt away into history. :biggrin:

Some ole fashioned tech mixed in with the new may just be the way ahead. I don’t see any one path as the “Solution“. From Hydrogen power, to cleaner ICE to planting more damned trees. We need to do it all, explore all the possibilities and use what works. This pick your side and to Hell with the other folks and their ideas will be our downfall. We need to pull our heads out of our fourth point of contact and work together. Folks busy pointing out the faults in other ideas usually have no ideas of their own. Just sayin.
 

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