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“Active” is a stupid name for the lowest trim level.

But Farley’s point is it won’t be forced by regulators, it will be forced by market demand. Nobody is forcing anyone to buy them today and overall sales are still increasing. My truck is a second vehicle that is never driven more than 50 miles per day and I can charge at home. No more stopping at gas stations. No more oil changes. No coolant changes. No transmission fluid changes. Extra lockable frunk storage. Perfect use case.

Don’t forget Farley came from Toyota. When you reward managers for meeting dates and cutting costs and ignore quality you shouldn’t be surprised when you get poor quality. Managers always make decisions that benefit them. Remember the Focus DCT? Engineer says it won’t hold up to the torque of the 2.0L engine. Middle managers had to decide to keep their mouth shut and make their cost and date targets knowing there would probably be problems down the line or throw the red flag and fix the problem which would have taken months if not a year and driven up costs significantly. They chose the first option, collected their bonuses and raises and were off to some other project by the time the shit hit the fan. No consequences. Had they chosen the latter option at the time they probably would have been dinged quite heavily for missing dates and cost targets. Contrast that to a new policy that says hiding a known problem or potential problem is a firable offense and that your bonus is tied to quality KPIs not dates. Under that policy you don’t ignore or hide problems. Thats the change Farley made and that’s why this has a chance of working.

Unifor members to build Ford F-Series Super Duty trucks at Oakville plant July 18, 2024 OAKVILLE—Unifor welcomes today’s announcement that Ford Motor Company will begin production of F-Series Super Duty trucks at the Oakville Assembly Complex in summer 2026 as well as both conventional and electrified versions of the Super Duty later this decade. “This new retooling plan for the Oakville plant addresses our union’s concerns with Ford Motor Company’s decision to delay new vehicle production for a period that was too long, too disruptive, and too harmful to accept,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Working with our local unions and company executives, we came to an agreement that will not only see our members back to work sooner, it protects our members’ jobs well into the future.” Under the new plan, Ford Motor Company will begin installation of tooling and equipment for Super Duty production and an integrated stamping facility at the Oakville Assembly Complex this summer. Production of the current generation Super Duty is forecasted to begin in 2026. Later in the decade, Oakville will begin producing the next-generation Super Duty, including an electrified version of the pickup. Oakville will be the sole initial source of multi-energy Super Duty production. Production at the Oakville plant ceased with the final Ford Edge rolling off the assembly line in May 2024. Super Duty truck production will replace previous production plans to build Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) in Oakville. In April 2024 the Company announced its decision to delay the launch of BEV production from 2025 to 2027. The delay would have resulted in Unifor Local 707 members being laid off for more than three years. Since the delay was announced in April 2024, Unifor has been engaged in negotiations with the company to push for additional support mechanisms for workers and an accelerated resumption of production at Oakville. “Finding a solution to support our members was multi-layered and extensive,” said Local 707 Oakville Plant Chairperson Marc Brennan. “This shift in direction reaffirms Ford Motor Company’s commitment to our members.” In addition to the accelerated timeline for the launch of Oakville’s next product, the union also succeeded in extending and enhancing the income security transition provisions originally negotiated during 2023 bargaining. Ford’s new product commitments will result in an additional investment of $500 million on top of the $1.8 billion Ford Motor Company committed in 2020. As a result of the production volumes of Super Duty trucks in Oakville, Ford anticipates increasing engine production volumes at the Essex Engine Plant in Windsor, Ontario which employs Unifor Local 200 members. Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 320,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future. For media inquiries or to arrange interviews via FaceTime, Zoom, or Skype please contact Unifor Communications Director Kathleen O’Keefe at kathleen.okeefe@unifor.org or by cell at (416) 896-3303.

Scaling back EV plans in favor of making more high emissions super duties? Can you imagine how pissed that guy named Rprev or whatever would be if he was still here? Half these responses would be him saying "This is it, Ford's doomed now, the cybertruck is gonna be the new best selling truck" 😆

I think will be more along the lines of what I want to see which is a hybrid super duty using the same basic system as the F-150 hybrid but with a larger battery (probably not plug-in at first) paired with a bigger EM on the 10R140 mated to the the 6.8L or 7.3L gasser. I think right now Ford is hearing about the desire to have the 7.2kW Powerboost option on the F-250 for contractors and campers alike. I would expect the F-250/350 would get something closer to a 50 kW motor that produces about 300 lbft of torque. The extra battery size (like a 2 or 3 kWh) would provide the needed capacity for extended uphill towing and more room for regenerative braking capacity on the downhill.

Good news for Oakville! I have heard over and over again throughout the years that Ford couldn't sell more Expeditions and Navigators because Kentucky Truck Assembly Plant was at capacity, and they always prioritized the Super Duty trucks over the SUVs. I wonder if this would correct that issue if true.

I’ve had them on multiple vehicles since 1999 and they’ve all worked flawlessly 99.9% of the time. The nice part isn’t just turning on the wipers - it’s continually adjusting the speed and turning them off and on intermittently as needed.

This is what confuses me about Ford's strategy. They're really leaning into their enthusiast heritage, and enthusiast products, but they keep making decisions guaranteed to piss off enthusiasts. Very few people who aren't car enthusiasts know what a Capri is, basically everyone who does is pissed at this thing. It's not hard Ford, if you're going after the mainstream crowd, then make appealing, but generic crossovers like this. If you really want to go after enthusiasts, then go after enthusiasts. Stop telling enthusiasts with sports coupes they'll love this electric minivan of the same name if they really give it the chance. It's only serving to damage their reputation long term. CE1 should be a remix of Ford's greatest hits, including things like the galaxies and rs200. Cars that you see and say "Hell yeah, I really want that" enough with this generic middle of the road BS muddying up historic nameplates.

Maybe he’s basing it on everything he’s said and done publicly.

A couple of thoughts, and it's not meant to be an apologist, but 1) Ford is hardly the only company to have invested billions in EVs with little to show for it.....I think where Ford gets dinged is that it decided to purposely break out EVs in their results, whereas competitors just have it in their overall numbers.........which looks better for you? Ford made $2.59 billion overall OR Ford Blue made $1.17B, Ford Pro made $2.56B, but EV lost $1.14B. 2) Changes should've been made earlier for quality purposes, but at least changes have been made that seem to be paying off so far. I'll agree that Oakville is a bad mis-step, and how can you blame him for the VW move when that was done by furniture man (can't even remember his name)?

Vger is on it's last leg of the trip from Hangzhou China to Columbus, Ohio. Today, he boarded a convoy truck to go from Flat Rock, Michigan to Columbus, Ohio. Once my 2021 Corsair buy back is done and the dealer installed options are completed I should have him in my garage by this time next week!

FTFY

You read my mind! Yes, I think the Super Duty being added to OAP is also a “response” to the toxic UAW negotiations last year and the KTP being the first plant to go down on strike. That hurt Ford badly being the company’s single most profitable plant in the world. Ford had prioritized F-Series production to be exclusively in the US for a long time. I think Bill Ford and Farley felt personally burned by the UAW’s tactic to go after that plant first and this decision was a direct reflection of that. But the UAW can’t really complain as the added Super Duty production is going to Canada to a Unifor plant and not to a spot in Mexico. Ultimately Ford wins on multiple fronts here and so does OAP.

This is phenomenal news!!! Congrats to the OAP team! Your workforce was too good to sit idle for 3.5 years. And adding Super Duty production is a great way to expand F-Series sales, getting it closer to that 1 million a year sales goal (one day). Yes, the 3 row EVs look to be going to the Cuatitlan plant. Which is where they were originally supposed be built before their major design / program changes. It does make me wonder why they didn’t just keep Super Duty production entirely at KTP and not move Expedition and Navigator to OAP.

Congratulations my Unifor brothers and sisters at OAC. About time the big shots at Ford got their heads out of their asses!

With the EV demand slowing down in Europe, Ford adds a new compact EV that starts at £48,075 ($52,357) to fill the gap between the slightly less expensive compact Explorer EV and the more expensive Mach E. Bottom line, they are way more expensive than the ICE models Ford killed or is about to kill. I'm waiting Ford to say, we're not killing the Focus and Kuga/Escape, we need to make some money. That C2 platform is definitely good for another generation. .

If the Explorer EV and Capri are represented what Ford was getting out of VW, I'm glad they are more or less not extending that relationship. They are both ok to underwhelming products. Hopefully Ford's small EV program pushes these out of the market sooner then later.

I have a toy of that gen Capri somewhere in the closet under my stairs. Has a little slider that makes the roof go up and down on it lol. Also don't forget about the 2nd gen Capri which was essentially a rebadged Foxbody Mustang with a bubble glass hatch as an option.

It's a conspiracy to keep you from getting the truck you want,,,,, HRG

Jeep People... Couldn't resist sharing!

“We have to start to get back in love with smaller vehicles,” Farley said in a recent interview with NBC News. “It’s super important for our society and for EV adoption. We are just in love with these monster vehicles, and I love them too. But it’s a major issue with weight.” What is Farley thinking making a statement like that when large vehicles, ie. F Series, generate all the profits for the company. “Let them eat cake” statements like that don’t tend to sit well with people, especially when he can afford to buy literally any vehicle he wants to buy. Americans don’t typically like to be told what to do, so it’s not a good look when I see those headlines popping up. Just because he wants people to adopt EVs since they have spent Billions on them doesn’t mean the people want or have to. I’m beginning to question some of his judgment. https://fordauthority.com/2024/07/ford-ceo-jim-farley-says-people-need-to-embrace-small-cars/

I understand their thinking, but all one has to do is look at the aftermarket catalogs for 1st-gen Mustangs...and you can get packages with rack steering, disc brakes, and subframe stiffeners. It's not cheap and it is work, but you end up with a classic-looking Mustang that goes, steers, and stops better and more reliably. The chassis stiffening, in particular, makes a big difference. Again, I'd never do it to anything truly "collectible", but if you find that project car that's already going to take a bunch of work and is much more about fun than investment potential...why not?

Yup, I agree. ....maybe........in 2047..........if Ford keeps its current plan.... ...wait, I'm hearing it was pushed back to 2065 just while typing.....check that, 2073.... ...but yes, Edge being replaced.

I completely understand. Remember Mulally’s first staff meeting where the head of Europe presented his information with financial details redacted? Imagine trying to hide your financial performance from your peers in a staff meeting with your boss. They also all came with huge binders that probably required 2 or 3 people to maintain. Mulally threw them out and told them to come back next week with all of the data and they were only allowed to bring 1 sheet of paper, no binders. He was great.

Exactly this.

I'd like to see Ford hire a 3rd party company to evaluate their product development and manufacturing processes to find solutions to this stubborn problem. I don't think this can be fixed internally.

My explorer was recalled to replace the clips on the roof rack covers. Meanwhile, Honda is in the corner whistling while civic engine blocks crack in half, and transmissions give out.

This is a neat little detail. Huge improvement over the Celestiq styling wise.

I've been saying for some time that Evos would make a good indirect Fusion replacement (because of the hatch). It seems as though all US brands are having difficulty in China, though Lincoln and Buick I think are doing well?

So finally got some time to take a look at Ford C2 sales in China and all it does is raise more questions in my mind about business choices there. The most recent entry I could find was 2022, which is useful because it includes the new products that came out: 60K Mondeo 26K Edge 15K Nautilus 10K Lincoln Z 6.8K Evos So roughly 118K in product spilt between 2 major top hats with an additional 2-3 changes per top hat-the Mondeo and Z are pretty much the same product with different bits of plastic, while the Evos, Edge and Nautilus have significant changes Meanwhile in the NA market-the Edge and Nautilus outsold the whole lot in 2023 (2022 production was limited by COVID issues) with a combined total of 130K units. I get the EV thing, but at the same time with some minor sheet metal changes you could have a new Edge and sell the Evos as a Subaru competitor for additional volume. Just looking at Ford's Chinese sales numbers, it makes me wonder why they stay there, but I guess their JVs sell much better then they do alone.

Agreed. I think a BEV Super Duty is a non-starter, at least with the current battery state. However, a range extender series PIH (similar to the new Ram) is perfect in my opinion. You have the drivability of a BEV without the range anxiety. I'll start saving my pennies now!

I told you they would shit can the 3 row EVs (for Oakville at least) and the delay was just a stall tactic while they figured out what to do. I presume this will free up space in Louisville for the new smaller EVs. Good news for the OAP folks!

Can't wait for GMI folks to talk about how Lincoln "copied" Cadillac's full width display.

Annoying as hell when you look up from your phone and see that your speed has dropped considerably,,,,,, HRG

So sad for the Edge. I saw the stagnation of the BEV market coming from a mile away. First you can not force a new technology onto the general public that is not ready to compete directly with what it is supposed to replace. Yes you have the new technology lovers, the something different lovers and the save the planet greenies. Once they were driving a BEV you would need to move onto the mainstream buyers. Unfortunately the range, speed of charging and convenience of charging locations all were not there. Then throw in the cost which is bad enough on the coasts but is even more of an obstacle in the middle of the country. Ford should have never threw all there eggs so quickly into the BEV basket and now they are paying the price. Will BEV eventually take over for ICE? Perhaps when solid state batteries are perfected. You never know though, a competing technology can come out of no where and take over, possibly synthetic fuel? That would allow for the current infrastructure to be retained. Who knows though if synthetic will be able to be produced to compete on price? Not me for sure. Whatever takes over needs to allowed to develop and take out gasoline without government interference. This is what happens when governments try to force something that is not ready to compete with the existing way.

Eh, I think Edge has a unique customer base - something bigger than Escape, but don't need the full size of Explorer. Bronco is too rugged/unrefined vs. Edge. It's also a perfect example of a product that should ride on a global platform (C2) for commodities of scale. Ford has also basically owned this segment since Edge debuted, yet here they are handing it away after letting it rot on the vine. I'm 100% opposite on this - I don't think it makes sense at all - why would I bother getting a vehicle the same exact larger size without the third row? At that point, just get the 3rd row and leave it down, that way it's there if I need it.

I don't. Ford doesn't owe it to any of us to build vehicles that it determines aren't sufficiently profitable. I wish Ford still built Panthers and Focus station wagons, but not enough people share my peculiar tastes for these vehicles to be profitable for Ford to manufacture. Please purchase the Murano, Blazer, etc. before those vehicles are discontinued also. I hear Nissan is also pruning its lineup, and there won't be a next generation Altima or Versa.

While losing the rain sensing wipers may not a deal breaker, it would be very close to a deal breaker for me. I have had them on a number of Lincoln vehicles as well as my BMW. They have all worked flawlessly and adjust the speed perfectly.

I'm surprised by all the negative comments as well. I have it on my Continental and it works very well - I rarely ever switch it out of automatic mode.

My wife's Escape is a 2020....NOT a 2000. I had a Biden moment. Oops....probably shouldn't have said that. 🤣

They still used the current model as the base. The spied photos like a bit different in profile. The mirrors are not the same as the current model. Though the doors are the same in design, the body paneling is a bit curvy. Also, the rear has a more curvier slope than the current model. Also, the rear spoiler is a lot thicker and more integrated into the tail gate than the current model as well. Sorry for the over analysis, but I can't be the only one whose tired of waiting.

Perhaps I’m in the minority, but I’ve had rain sensing wipers on my car for years. That’s pretty much the only setting I ever use.

I think if the final design looked closer to this actual sketch, people would like it more. The details aren't bad, it actually looks really cool in this sketch. What makes it less appealing is just how stubby/fat the finished product is. You can tell the hood on the final design is a lot shorter, and the thing sits a lot higher. I'd actually retry this idea with Ford's upcoming CE1 platform. Keep these lines, but push the dash to axle ratio back 4-6 inches, lower the roof/beltline by a couple of inches, and flair the wheel arches out even more to make the finished car look more like this sporty sketch. If Ford came out with an electric replacement for the escape globally and it actually looked as dramatic as this sketch, it would be quite successful imo.

Or it’s because Rangers were unavailable for the last 8 months

Let's not forget that Ford abandoning that segment made customers migrate to GM and Toyota, those consumers are probably on their 2nd Taco/Canyonrado since 2011...good luck trying to get them to return.

Dang, the time between posts on this thread. Threads almost old enough to vote.

I recall @ice-capades posted an article shortly before the contract vote outlining Fain's ties to Socialist movers and shakers. In it, he was shown in accompanying photos with them. It was as alarming as it was enlightening.

I won’t pile on here but just say that actions have consequence and if the UAW think that stone walling an investigation lead by the court appointed watchdog is a smart thing then get ready for a raft of even heavier regulation. If it can be shown that the UAW leadership don’t follow their own rules, then there could be a speedy replacement of the people at the top…..

Thanks, that was my original plan for paint when I bought it ~12 years ago, but the brandywine kandy swayed me lol I'm slowly gathering parts for one of them. I keep going back and forth between doing the new 7.3 godzilla or the PI head 460 I already have sitting in the shed for it. Plan on doing crown vic front suspension and going pretty crazy with building 4 link/cantilevered/coilover suspension in the rear.