FordBuyer

To sell a used electric golf cart around here, you have to replace the batteries or no one will buy it. Lead acid batteries replacement is around $1,000 and Lithium is around $4,000, about what it costs to replace the battery on my Escape Hybrid. If I were in the market for a used electrified vehicle more than 7 years old, it would need a recent battery replacement for me to be interested...golf cart or electric car. I imagine there is reason why Ford only warranties my hybrid system for 8 years or $80,000 miles. To sell my Boxster, I had to spend $3,000+ to replace the IMS bearing or no one would offer me a fair price. I wouldn't offer a fair price for an older used EV with original battery. Doubt if many would.

And Kia/Hyundai just advised hundreds of thousands of their customers to park their vehicles outside away from their house because of engine fires. Just a minor problem as they say. Garages aren't for cars anyway..it's for storage.

I believe I read where a new long range battery on a Mach E is $20,000 +. Something to consider as your Mach E approaches the 10 year mark. And what that does to depreciation. You basically have to replace the battery before selling it if it's more than 7 years old.

I hate to think it as an Escape owner, but I predict Escape's days are numbered. There is talk of a Maverick CUV making the Escape redundant. Escape sales have going down every year and Maverick is hot. So take advantage with a CUV Maverick and run with it. I guess you could say the Bronco Sport is the Maverick CUV, but the Maverick CUV could be less boxy, more cargo room, more fuel efficient, better towing, and still be more rugged looking than Escape. Besides, it will take more than a new front end to turn Escape into a better seller.

That seems to be the Ford strategy going forward. About 60% hybrids/plugins, and maybe 40% BEVs by 2030 or so. And then take it from there as the feedback/sales numbers come in. Toyota is certainly using that strategy. Foolish IMO to go head first into only BEVs like GM.

Other than Tesla, there is no other high volume BEV seller. Mach E, Bolt, Leaf at best do 3,000/month and the Leaf especially is very affordable with range now competitive. Will see how well the VW ID4 sells. And the Kia BEVs. So other than the BEV Lightning and Silverado that look like high volume sellers, there are none yet other than Tesla. And will see how many Lightning reservations are turned into outright sales. With new subsidies from government, more convenient charging stations, cheaper, more powerful batteries, a robust supply chain, and cheaper sticker prices, BEVs have a dominant future. But that is not here yet. I know I hate it when the engine kicks on in my hybrid. The electric mode is so quiet and extends the fuel significantly. Impossible for me to go back to ICE only unless it's a high powered sports car with a Flat 6 or V8. No more pedestrian ICE for me.

So does it still say Blazer on the front door?

Right now, more buyers want a BEV than can be built this year and next. And most would be buyers have the means to do it. It will be interesting to see what happens when supply meets demand, and if BEVs still cost thousands more than ICE vehicles. And if average range of BEV is as good as ICE and as easy to charge as gas up. So Ford is smart to proceed cautiously and still offer ICE versions of many of its BEV offerings. Cover all bases to meet all the needs of its customers.

Nissan just put a new turbo 4 cyl ICE engine in its 2022 Rogue with variable compression. Impressive fuel mileage of 32 city and 37 highway. Much better mileage than 2021 Rogue. About 20% better. With ICE sticking around for many more years, companies would be foolish not to keep on developing its ICE to make it more efficient.

There are lots of You Tube racing videos that focus on 911 Cup Car sounds and no other race car sounds as good as them. You have to go back to F1 Cosworth V8 sounds to find sounds that piercing. Or Ferrari V10 and V12 F1 to get something that distinctive. All that great sound from a Flat 6 is impressive. But Mustang V8s are up there with the best going even back to Fox Body 5.0s and that delightful burble exhaust note. Multimatic knows how to make a race car and look out Ferrari, Corvette, BMW, and Porsche.

I don't know about that. The new C8 Corvette seems to be not as good as the C7 in racing trim. Even with less competition. And the Ford GT still won a slew of IMSA races after losing 150 hp. Bad luck also lost it races. LeMans with that long straight did its job with losing all that hp. But on courses with more corners and shorter straights, the Ford GT was very competitive and always a threat to win.

Yeah, I guess when you make the same dated vehicle for over a decade and never try anything innovative, it better be reliable. If Ford still made the Crown Vic and the Town Car with the same drivetrain, I bet you could put hundreds of thousands of miles on them too.

Farley doesn't. He recently stated that ICE for N. America will stick around for many more years, especially with its iconic brands like Mustang and Bronco. Many "electrified vehicles" will still have ICE motors.

I love the sound of racing V8s, but check out the sound of Porsche 911Cup racers. It pierces your ear drums as they rev up past 8500 rpm. What a glorious sound. Very distinctive.

Balance of power. Ford GT only had one year of dominance before balance of power removed its fangs. So the IMSA Mustang should be competitive. Corvettes will be defanged by BOP if it's too dominant.

This racing vehicle will be available to private racing groups also, not just factory teams.

Ford is working with Napa Valley wine growers using their BEV commercial vehicles. Looks like lots of possibilities for big farms and ranches using these vehicles and charging them up every night.

That L.A. Coliseum race was a joke. I watched it for about 5 minutes before I gave up. With sparse fans in the crowd looking disinterested, hopefully that venue will be ditched. Looked like demolition derby to me.

Edmund's just did a comparison test of new F150 vs the new Tundra. F150 won every category except one where they tied. Overall, it's impossible to beat the F150. You may beat it on ride or some other minor category, but not overall. There is a reason F150 wins the sales race every year.

So what's the average markup on a Mach E? I believe I heard somewhere as much as $10,000 on the long range models.

Going back to Fusion days, it seems to me it always took longer for vehicles built in Mexico to get here, especially to Midwest. Seems to be happening to Bronco Sport and Maverick. They just dribble into Eastern dealers. Probably better on West Coast.

I believe it's down to $6 billion already as Rivian stock is down almost every day. Ditto for Lucid. Production is a bitch. You can't sell what you can't make. Will be interesting to see if BEV production for everyone other than Tesla can really ramp up nicely without supply shortages in 2023 and beyond. 2022 looks dismal. Tesla has its own problems with phantom braking.

And Ford stock is getting killed today. Ford made $10 billion for 2021 and guidance for 2022 is about the same. Ford also has about $36 billion in cash. So I would say today's reaction is an over correction. Look for stock to creep back to $20 range as year progresses, but not much earnings growth for 2022. Surprised by Ford's stagnant profit margin given Ford's hot lineup and lower incentives.

Certainly supply issues are major issue, but hard to know how fuel prices are affecting what consumers buy. However, fuel prices probably negatively affect F150, Expedition, and Ranger sales somewhat and positively affect sales of electrified vehicles.

Buying Lincoln was Edsel's idea which Henry never let Edsel forget.