ExplorerDude

From what I have heard it is not being designed in Dearborn at all. It is being designed completely in California away from the “system” aka “Dearborn Disfunction.” It’s dimensions are supposedly very close to the current Escape.

The low cost EV is a replacement for the Escape (or the next gen as an EV) however you want to look at it. I don’t believe they will co-exist at the same time.

Anything is possible and subject to change. However it is publicly known that the first low cost EV priced around $25,000 starting will come out of LAP in Kentucky.

Leadership has a major impact on a company like Ford. It really is amazing how one person can literally influence and control direction and strategy so much. I honestly have reasonable hope for Lincoln moving forward. There are a few different silhouettes that will join (or at least they were supposed to) in the next couple of years that should make the faithful much happier.

This right here is the summation of why Ford is the way it is. It’s also why the Premier Automotive Group was disabled. Mulally saw the culture at Ford and knew it couldn’t manage that much. That is still the case today.

The sad part is I would have never considered the first gen Edge as a commodity product by any means. The first gen was way more of a passion product. There was nothing else quite like it at the time outside of the Nissan Murano. Yes, perhaps the second gen is more of a commodity product. But its popularity is amazingly still pretty good for a decade old design. Only one person decided that the Edge was a commodity and it should be dropped. Farley really only loves the Mustang family, Bronco family, F-Series and Maverick.

The odds are supposedly pretty good in that it will be used for the next gen Explorer/Aviator at the end of the decade. Beyond those two there is nothing else attached to CD6 yet.

U760 was up for BOD review in March. It was red flagged. Which means it was reviewed and discussed for possible cancellation. I don’t know the outcome of that meeting or decision yet. There is a difference as U759 was delayed, U760 might have been shelved indefinitely. Lincoln has pretty much said they won’t go the EV route for the foreseeable future. I don’t think Lincoln’s customer would support and/or buy it. It’s a real shame as it’s definitely the nicer of the two.

Next gen has been delayed and pushed back.

To be honest, while I do believe they are at a decision point, I also don’t think the plan has changed at all for OAC yet.

No one seems to know the status of the the 7 seater EVs at this point. I have a feeling they are at a serious decision point about moving forward or not. Edge could get extended again but not likely. There have been some rapid program changes up and down the line. If you like non EV vehicles then you will be excited for the programs back in motion or added to the cycle.

Bronco sales are drying up because of the ridiculous prices increases it has had since launch. Internally, some are sounding the alarm bells now going off because of the greed on raising the prices so much. When the Bronco launched the 2-door starting price was $28,995, it’s now $39,600+. Insanity! The greed doesn’t end there, they killed the Base trim levels so the starting price automatically goes up. Even though the Base trims aren’t huge volume, it’s still an attractive starting point. Especially for those who want a simple Bronco or even Bronco Sport and want to make it truly their own through lots of customizations. The Bronco Raptor came out at around $66,000 and its starting price is now $90,000+. All in less than 3 years. It’s beyond inflation or raw material prices increases. Most Ford dealers have an average Bronco stock of 15-20 units now and they are sitting. Jeep has been slashing their MSRP’s considerably. I hope we take the hint and stop this insane pricing that’s not sustainable and will kill product lines. The Maverick’s success and demand is due to its affordability.

OAC will not be down that long. Job 1 is around March 2025.

There is no Bronco Sport BEV in development, that was never going to LAP. The small SUV BEV going to LAP is still on plan for now. Again not a Bronco Sport. The Maverick and Bronco BEVs are what have been delayed until 2030+.

Ford’s going to have too much EV plant capacity. I’m hoping the flexibile manufacturing is still a possibility if they need to convert a plant back to ICE production. It’s a very tough spot that they’ve painted themselves into a corner with. You have Electric Vehicle Centers at Dearborn Truck, Cuautitlan, then all the work happening at Blue Oval City, then the Oakville Complex, plus the various battery plants everywhere. It’s going to be an expensive mess. I know technically different but look at Michigan Assembly Plant, it when from BOF Expeditions and Navigators to Unibody FWD Focus and C-Max and back to BOF Ranger and Bronco. Conversions are possible but at a heavy price.

Not axed per se but on hold. Development work stops.

So much is changing at a fairly rapid pace. I’m hearing that most EVs have been put on indefinite hold except for the next gen “Lightning” and the 7-seater Ford/Lincoln EVs for OAC.

2025 will have half the trim levels

Yes you are correct!

I heard Job #1 for the 7-seater EV will be February 2025 and it will be a 2026MY vehicle.

What Farley really means is any vehicle without good margins of 10% or better are going away. Because less than 10% is boring to him…..

I hear you and I agree but it’s deeper for me. The cultural ignorance of so many decisions is the same “rot” that has doomed so many beloved nameplates over the years. The launch and abandon mindset is built into the culture. It was almost eradicated under Mulally but it grew back. Had Ford followed through with the original plan for a CD6F based Edge, it would’ve been out for MY2022 almost 3 years ago. When the CD6F Edge was shelved in 2020 that’s when China started to develop their own C2 Edge (and Nautilus). The company just can’t stay focused. Things get boring and change direction when the wind blows in a different direction. Mulally was adamant about consistency and continuous improvement but with Ford the lesson is never learned. I’m sorry I could go on for hours on this.

That EOP date keeps getting pushed back and back further. Ending the Edge is still one of the biggest bonehead decisions I’ve ever witnessed. All I keep hearing is the Explorer and the 7-seater BEV will be taking up the volume lost by the Edge. All the Edge needed was a complete redesign with an eye catching design that would rejuvenate interest even more. Make no mistake it’s making a ton of money even with all the incentives right now.

What’s the holdup with Ranger production taking off? I honestly haven’t heard any excuse since the strike ended.

Yes, the current Edge and Nautilus are more attractive. The new 7-seater Ford EV is not attractive in my opinion. Its shape is what turns me off. It’s extremely different and I honestly don’t know how they will sell 50,000-75,000 units a year projected for the US. I could be wrong but who knows. I still have no idea what name it will have. It’s honestly not fitting to call it an Explorer. I’ve heard “Edison” floated and no not because it’s Team Edison’s latest project. On the other hand, the Lincoln version while different is not unattractive. It’s sleek and very fitting of a future Lincoln EV. I am fairly certain the 7-seater Lincoln EV will be called Aviator though. I believe Farley wants to go after Tesla buyers with a 7-seater EV which Tesla doesn’t have. Oakville is projected to build / sell 200,000 a year. I assume Oakville is building these for global consumption as this will be the only place these are built.