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Cuautitlan shipped the first batch of Mach E to the US this week according to this article (in Spanish). It will also start shipping to Europe soon so Ford can keep its deadline of starting delivery in North America and Europe before the end of 2020. https://forococheselectricos.com/2020/10/arranca-la-distribucion-del-ford-mach-e-con-las-primeras-unidades-de-camino-a-los-concesionarios.html

Rivian is building 3 vehicles off its skateboard chassis: pickup, SUV, and van. Ford is also making its own EV pickup, SUV, and van. If you don't see a problem here, you haven't worked inside a big company with internal politics. I think there is a degree of bickering inside Ford right now about how to incorporate Rivian into its product plans for the future. If you are a vehicle engineer or program manager, you don't want your vehicle to be designated "Rivian based" for obvious reasons. You going to fight tooth and nail to have your vehicle based on the Ford chassis. I believe Hackett and Farley thought Rivian will be a shortcut to getting more EV to market faster. But once the projects get down to the details, you have to have answers to a lot of questions and this leads to conflicts and delays. Until Ford and Rivian's relationship becomes more clear (who wears the pants in this relationship), I don't believe there will be any mainstream market targeted Rivian based Ford vehicles. Lots of practical questions needs to be answered before the rank and file will fall in line. For example, will Rivian vehicles use Ford designed steering rack or seats? That may seem trivial to some people but it is a huge part of vehicle development because they have major impact on crash test safety protection and teams of people spent their careers working on integrating those things to different vehicles.

I recently bought a new Escape Hybrid on X plan (stockholder) and only had to pay $50 in dealer fees instead of $600 and got a $500 discount on the $3,700 premium package. So I saved about $1,000 and also took the 0% loan instead of the $3500 rebate. The dealer also delivered the vehicle to my house and did a great job prepping it. I doubt if Ford will have much of a rebate on the Bronco, but hopefully will honor the X plan by second year out at least.

Lots of errors on the Build and Price option combinations. Wait for the actual order guide.

...which has the effect of delaying it coming to market for 2-3 years, as Oakville isn't getting restructured as a BEV plant until 2024, IIRC. The Rivian-based, Lincoln-designed big flagship BEV SUV could have started rolling off the assembly line as early as late next year.

There still isn’t a lot of profit to be had on them. It’s more getting the platform in place and being prepared to go whichever way the market dictates in the future.

Or, go here for the translated page... Google Translate

I’m curious how Rivian will do service. That’s been a problem as Tesla has grown. I wonder if Rivians don’t end up being serviced by Ford.

20K Hummers a year? They’ll be lucky to sell 2K

I don't think you can draw any conclusion about the body based on this mule. The weird shape you see behind the C-pillar is because Ford had to add about 6" to the Focus wagon mule due to the longer wheelbase of the vehicle. The only clue about what it will look like is the suspension ride height... it doesn't have a typical lifted wagon ride height but more like a SUV. I've said it many times in other threads that I believe this vehicle will look like a SUV. All signs point to this being an Edge like replacement. Here is a closer look of Focus wagon and this mule. Look at how the bottom of the body on this mule is lined up with the center hub of the wheel. While on the Focus, the bottom of the body is almost 3/4 way down the side of the rear tire. Now look at this close up of Focus Active wagon ride height. See how the bottom of the body is line up about 2" below the lowest lugnut (roughly 1" higher than regular Focus)? So my guess is this vehicle has roughly 3 to 4" higher ground clearance than Focus and at least 2" higher than Focus Active. That's pretty substantial difference.

Forgot the exhaust brake on the newer trucks... must have been sleeping.

I'm pretty sure this won't be the only vehicle GM is going to build off this platform. Cadillac Lyriq is also using this unibody platform, and of course the Hummer SUV that has yet to be revealed, and there may be a cheaper Chevy version further down the road. And the Ultim battery system is also modular and will be used on all other GM EVs. If GM can sell 20k Hummer pickup a year, I think they will be very pleased.

And Rivian is far from "vaporware".

Broad ranges are common, not just at Ford but other industries as well. An average performer who is near the bottom of the range may get a larger increase than a top performer who is in the upper 1/4 of the range. A top performer at the maximum for the range will only get a raise same % as the range increase. Allowing someone to fall below minimum was frowned on unless an unsatisfactory rating was involved. Only people I knew who were above maximum were LL6s who accepted reduction to GSR. If you have been GSR 8 for say 5 years and receiving good reviews, you should be above average range. If you are below that average, time for some serious discussion with your LL6 or LL5. If you are uncomfortable with that prospect, may be time for a change.

I know this was a year ago but there was a prototype Cybertruck seen driving around LA with Elon himself driving it. Can't find anything more recent though but there is at least 1 functional prototype. https://bgr.com/2019/12/09/tesla-cybertruck-video-pictures-elon-musk-driving/

Ford's $1.8B pledge to Oakville could transform Canada's auto industry Investment could be 'the catalyst' for Ontario emerging as an EV producer John Irwin EDITOR’S NOTE: In part one of a three-part series Electrifying Oakville, Automotive News Canada takes a closer look at the pledge Ford. Motor Co. has made to electric vehicles and its only assembly plant in Ontario, and how that could affect the Canadian auto industry as a whole. Ford Motor Co.’s planned $1.8-billion investment in its Oakville, Ont., plant to build five electric vehicles by 2027 has the potential to transform both the company’s Canadian operations and the country’s supply chain, according to industry executives and experts. “It’s encouraging for the future of the sector,” said Brian Kingston, CEO of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association, which represents the Canadian operations of Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. “Auto assembly has a massive supply chain, and when an investment like this is made, it has a huge spinoff benefit that helps companies of all sizes across the province and across Canada.” The investment commitment, set to take place in 2024 with $590 million in combined financial assistance from the federal and Ontario governments — announced Oct. 8 — is the centrepiece of a new contract between Unifor and Ford. The three-year deal was ratified by 81 per cent of union members in late September. Under the plan, Ford would begin producing battery-electric vehicles at the Oakville plant in 2026, with five models being built there by 2027. It would be the first factory in Canada dedicated to EV production. INVESTMENT AN ‘ANCHOR’ Industry stakeholders who spoke to Automotive News Canada were bullish about the plans. Brendan Sweeney, managing director for the Trillium Network for Advanced Manufacturing in London, Ont., said Ford’s massive expenditure could serve as an “anchor” in attracting further EV production investments in the future. The Trillium Network is a nonprofit organization based at Western University in London, Ont., that advocates for advanced manufacturing in the province. “This could very well serve as the catalyst” for Ontario emerging as a major EV producer, Sweeney said. Navdeep Bains, the federal minister of innovation, science and industry, said the Oakville plan will spark investments throughout the supply chain. He said Ottawa would work with Canada’s mining industry to “better connect” it with the auto sector, potentially spurring battery production. “We want Canada to be a world leader when it comes to the production of batteries and zero-emission vehicles in Canada,” he said. Rob Wildeboer, executive chairman of Martinrea International Inc., said barring another global crisis, Ford’s plan for Oakville speaks positively about Canada’s ability to expand its auto-manufacturing footprint under the new North American trade pact. “There always could be something [negative] happening in 2030, but people are always going to buy cars. It’s important to be competitive, and I think we’ve done some good things” as a country, he said. TIMING IS UNUSUAL The plans offer some clarity over the future of Ford’s sole assembly plant in Canada, which will continue to build the Edge and the Lincoln Nautilus crossover until 2023, when the company’s new contract with Unifor expires. The timing of the Oakville retooling is unusual, however. Investments announced during labour negotiations are typically undertaken during the life of a new agreement, not a year after the contract is scheduled to expire. Assuming Unifor and Ford stick with three-year contracts, the union will have negotiated with Ford two more times by the time all five EVs are supposed to be rolling off the assembly line in 2027. The plant will employ fewer people come 2027 than it does today, according to Ford and Unifor. About 3,000 workers would be employed at the Oakville plant by then, down from around 3,400 today, a figure that was already reduced following rounds of job cuts over the last year or so. The union expects the reduction in head count to be accounted for entirely through retirements. Despite the lengthy timeline for the Ford investment, the Oakville plant appears to be on solid ground, said Kristin Dziczek, vice-president of industry, labour and economics at the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich. The new-vehicle market will likely be on an upswing by 2024, making Ford’s investment viable. “This is amazingly good news, and the fact that the government is up to bat for the industry and for this investment is very strong,” she said. FUTURE ‘LOCKED IN’ Unifor President Jerry Dias contrasted the Oakville plans favorably to the deal his union negotiated with General Motors in 2016. That contract included an investment in GM’s Oshawa, Ont., assembly facility for final assembly on pickup bodies shipped from the United States. At the time, union leaders hailed the plans as a lifesaver for the storied plant. But after two years of pickup production, vehicle assembly ended in December 2019. The Oshawa factory is now used for a much smaller aftermarket-parts operation. “We negotiated a product that was a shuttle” in Oshawa in 2016, Dias said. “This is not a shuttle [in Oakville]. This is not just one vehicle. It’s five [EV] models . ...We’ve locked in the future in this agreement.” Dziczek cited a letter from Ford to Unifor detailing its plans for Oakville, noting it does not include language stipulating that such an investment would be “contingent on business and market case,” as contracts sometimes do if a planned investment is not a surefire thing. Instead, Ford only stipulated the need for government support and “competitive operational practices,” which the company feels it received in the contract. A request for comment from Ford Canada CEO Dean Stoneley was declined, but in a statement issued after the union’s ratification vote, he said that by introducing battery-electric vehicle production in Oakville, “we are cementing our Canadian operations as a leader in advanced automotive manufacturing.” WHAT EVS, THOUGH? Dias said at least one of the models in Oakville would be a crossover and that there were plans for two-door and four-door vehicles, though details were not disclosed. Dias said he expected about 200,000 vehicles a year to be built in Oakville by 2027. Sam Fiorani, an analyst at U.S.-based AutoForecast Solutions LLC, said those EVs could be similar in size to the midsize Edge. He also said it would make sense if two of the five models were Lincoln-branded variations of a Ford EV built there, and a higher-end Lincoln specialty vehicle also was possible. “If you’re going to build it in Canada, you’re going to want it to be higher end and a little more expensive than the ones you’re building in Mexico, especially when EVs are not making money at the moment.” Still, worldwide, Ford is investing heavily in electric vehicles, planning to invest $14.6 billion by 2022 to electrify its lineup, including rolling out 16 EVs.

I was referring to the hourly master agreement language. This part of the hourly contract is never really discussed much at all. As for the salaried contracts I`m not familiar with all the different agreements that Ford has in place. Paint Guy may be able to give some good insights on the salaried benefits. The 25% is reduced at the time of separation and is based on the age of the individual requesting the benefit. There is a chart in the master agreement that shows a graduated scale of benefit reductions. To a large number who didn`t ask or understood there was another eye opener at age 62. First the full pension benefit does not kick back in at age 62. Then the bridge benefit that is sold as a helping income till a person applies for SS just stops at age 62. The bridge benefits in most cases is equal or very close to the pension age reduction. Reduce a benefit then give an income benefit called a bridge for about the same percentage can be seen as a masking of the long term benefit. Then as so many people do when the first month of pension benefit shows this reduction people jump to sign up for SS. Then there`s a SS reduction that is another eye opener, yep start SS benefits at 62 and yes another age reduction. In my case it is another 20 to 25 percent of the monthly SS benefit. Doing the projections on the reductions in income over the average male life span, all I will say is its a very large loss of income. The loss in income is something that will never be recouped. Yes my statements are based on separation date plus age of beneficiary, against full pension and SS benefits without age penalties. I hope the situations you have to look at are clearer than the hourly benefits are. Bridge benefit is income but it masks the loss of income that many have no idea are going to kick in place with their age, hopefully you can work around any loss.

Bend points or a Ford pension have requirements to receive full monthly payments. If you are hourly in the Ford system you being 40ish will put you in line for an age penalty or as it’s stated reduced benefits. There is not contractual language that allows for a full pension benefit prior to age 62. It would take me a few minutes to give specific percentages but off the top of this old head I’m thinking you’d be reduced by 25 or 26 percent of your monthly income benefit. No matter how many years invested in the pension. If you are thinking about taking an incentive to sign on the dotted line be very careful and realize that 30 years in vested only gives full benefits at age 62. Good luck and get everything you can in the way of information.

Well, doesn't that just suck! You'd think I would get something extra as a shareholder....

At it's price point, limited garage space is not an issue to its target demographic.

Thanks, I kinda figured that but have no experience with this engine.

That's after 2025. The Mid sized Ford and Lincoln BEVs are supposed to be coming from Avon Lake inside two years

As a retired salary employee, some experience with this. In the past full retirement required a total of 85 points (total of years of service and age). If your service date is before a certain date (2002?) you are eligible for benefits until age 65. This used to be inexpensive, but is up over $200/month this year. Still cheap compared to Obamacare or COBRA. Usually the packages start with employees over 50 years of age. When you are eligible the email comes to you. I took the phased retirement. Other organizations were eligible for a richer package. Usually by organization with need to "right size". Ford does change policies over time. Read through the stuff on HR online. For me, what I got was a good deal, even if others got more. If you are in an organization targeted for cuts, tread carefully. If you are well regarded, say in a high demand specialty, could end up with a counteroffer or being denied the package.

OAC is 100% confirmed for multiple EV "models"

I wish we would've seen the Lincoln. Sounds like it'd have been awesome. You know, that R1-S looks an awful lot like the Flex..........it'd be neat if Ford brought it back as a BEV. hehe.

Use your exhaust brake. Makes a world of difference. Add in tow haul and manual downshift as YT90SC mentions and it’s even better.

I just wrapped up this painting project in my garage... patiently awaiting my Bronco's arrival. Thought you guys would appreciate it.

and hes correct. Hell need to know if you are 56M or 56A...when the car is ordered either of those codes will need to be entered to find out if eligible. That said, it also means to be eligible the vehiclewill need to be in the Company name the code pertains too.

I haven't seen a lot of Aviators on the road. So I am curious what the production numbers will be once we get back to normal—if we ever do. Ford produces around 20-25K Raptors per year, which is still quite a lot for them to hold their value so good. I am going to try and drive one this weekend. What's interesting is that the Aviator weighs about the same as the Raptor given how much all the electric technology weighs. With my Cobb tune on the Raptor, the power numbers are about 525 hp and about 600 lbs tq, so the numbers are similar to the Aviator except the engine size. The Raptor pulls and accelerates extremely quick for its size and having 35" tires. Lol like you, I passed a vehicle on the highway in my Raptor during the summer and got nailed going 20 over—my officer wasn't as cool as yours though.

I have not. It's hard enough getting information about what’s going on with my line let alone information out of a completely different department. I'm not saying things are going poorly, they are going good, but communication could be better between management and the launch leaders.

You need to factor in the exchange rate. Canadians measure a week differently.