mackinaw

Remember that the Mach-E was first announced in 2019 which means engineering probably started in 2016/2017. EV's were a brand new world back then and it made total sense to base an EV on an existing ICE platform. GM did the exact same thing with the first Chevy Bolt, which was based on the Cruze ICE platform. Live and learn as they say, which is what both Ford and GM have done.

Maybe only Ram and Jeep will survive.

Not bad. I like the side pic with the model's scarf billowing in the breeze.

You don't need to charge an EREV. Once the battery pack is exhausted, the gas engine turns on and charges the battery. The only stop you'll have to make is to fill the gas tank for the ICE.

The last Ford contact I had was a gal I knew in high school who retired from Ford a few years back. She was an engineer who worked on EV's. I saw her at a wedding about that time and we talked cars for a bit. Retired or not, she was still tight-lipped, but she did tell me she was really impressed with some of the hub motors Ford was working on. Maybe they're finally ready for prime time.

Agreed. Mr. Fain is about to realize that actions have consequences. Maybe not the only reason they're shifting production of the Super Duty to OAC, but one of them,

I just saw my first new Ranger in the wild this afternoon. Dark grey. Personally, I like it. Strong family resemblance to other Ford trucks which is not surprising. The front end is quite different than the outgoing model.

I always remember something Jack Telnack said about car styling. A new design should, at first, make you feel uncomfortable. That's when the designer knows he went far enough.

Ditto in Northern Michigan.

Which makes no sense considering that Jeep and Ram supply the lion's share of profits at Stellantis.

This is from the weekly Hagerty newsletter. Apparently Farley was recently on some podcast. His comments on sedans: “I do not like generic cars and trucks,” said Farley as he railed against “appliance-like vehicles” while defending Ford’s decision to leave the sedan market. It’s a segment that Ford hasn’t completely written off for good, and he noted that there are good reasons to keep them in mind. “The bottom line is sedans are very aero[dynamic]. In a world where batteries are expensive,” Farley noted. “A sedan or a hatch is a great silhouette for aero.” Farley didn’t commit to any future products, but did say, “If we do one, it’s probably gonna feel, look, and smell a lot different” than current offerings. One vintage nameplate he brought up was Fiesta, mentioning that Ford could make a more premium compact car relevant in the market." https://www.hagerty.com/media/lists/five-classic-car-nameplates-that-deserve-a-comeback/?utm_source=SFMC&utm_medium=email&utm_content=MED_UN_NA_EML_UN_UN_WeekendRoadTrip&hashed_email=5dc7f32ef3ae7ed02589eb7a9225ee577803bd2e44dd34e74133567fec781301&dtm_em=5dc7f32ef3ae7ed02589eb7a9225ee577803bd2e44dd34e74133567fec781301

Texasota is exactly right. China is the largest automotive market in the world. Every manufacturer wanted to be part of that. Plus investors and stockholders demanded it.

Too bad it's behind a paywall, but everything you want to know about the Long Beach skunkworks facility can be found in today's Detroit News. Too long an article for me to summarize.

Looks like Carlos Tavares has some major changes planned for the old Chrysler Group. Massive job cuts and perhaps even selling their Auburn Hills Headquarters. Not good news for SE Michigan. https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2024/06/20/stellantis-may-cut-many-jobs-in-metro-detroit-what-we-know/

The Detroit News ran the article too. Behind a paywall, so here are a few quotes: "Earlier this year, Farley pioneered this “build-and-hold” approach with the newly redesigned F-150 pickup - Ford’s best-selling vehicle. More than 60,0000 fully built F-150s sat in parking lots around Metro Detroit for weeks so engineers could check them for quality problems. But the extra quality checks also allowed the automaker to avoid 12 recalls, Farley said, including software glitches and assembly problems. That troubleshooting of the F-150, for example, uncovered one defect involving a wiring harness — a sheath full of important electrical wires — that was being improperly installed behind the dashboard instrument panel. That caused the harness to rub against a metal bracket that would have led to a rupture in the wiring and could have caused the instrument gauge screen to go blank. Engineers fixed it before it went to dealer lots, avoiding a lengthy repair process. Now, Farley is holding another marquee model, a redesigned version of the Explorer sport-utility vehicle, for extra tests. He plans a similar approach later this year with updated editions of the Bronco Sport compact SUV and hot-selling Maverick small pickup."