rmc523
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Posts posted by rmc523
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On 5/2/2025 at 5:26 PM, jpd80 said:
Yes, Farley kinda mentioned that in and interview a while back, I think it had to do with proportions
when everyone was talking about short hoods and smaller frunks. At that time I was discussing with
DeluxeStang and others and just cautioning the unbridled optimism on CE1 being all things to everyone.
Unfortunately some other members saw that as being overly negative so I eased back on sharing opinions.
The whole point to recreating traditional segment vehicles is to have something a bit different,
and over time new buyers cycle in with differnt tastes - maybe some new proportions are good...
I doubt that the $20,000 small pickup gains much traction once real engineering review begins
and the reality of todays costs seeps in. Current announcement is all about a bunch of execs
with grandiose visions…..I think Tesla is currently getting a dose of reality on costs and the
changing market sentiment. So fast forward three or four years, can’t really see a $20,000 trucklet.
Oh I get that. That particular comment was directed at the idea of purchasing Slate.......if they really wanted to appeal to both a traditional AND radical (style wise) type of buyer, they could just make a more traditional top hat and bifurcate the market with a radical CE1 design and a more traditional boxy CE1 version rather than outlaying a ton of cash for this new brand that seemingly doesn't have anything unique aside from DIY bolt ons.
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5 minutes ago, fuzzymoomoo said:
Probably because they know it’s a lame duck so there’s not much sense in investing a ton into it.Who knows with Ford having a new plan daily lol.
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3 hours ago, Trader 10 said:
Plus the fact that Mach E is getting long in the tooth and Ford has made only minor changes since its introduction. Apparently the plan is to let it soldier on as is until it is discontinued in a few more model years.
They've followed the Tesla path with Mach E of changing under the skin stuff without doing much to the exterior (Rally package doesn't count).
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3 hours ago, Sherminator98 said:
The funny thing is that my '22 Bronco has been getting the best around town MPG for my commute to work of all the vehicles I've owned in the past 20 years or so. I get about 20 MPG with the 2.7 V6. I was getting like 17 with the SHO (I'm sure the AWD didn't help) and my Mustang was around 18-19, but I drove much further with that to work vs what I've done for the past 10 years.
I'm getting between 15-17.5 (maybe a bit higher if I take a long road trip) with my Bronco, but that 2.7+sasquatch takes a toll on mileage lol.
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3 hours ago, Sherminator98 said:
They quit using the Cobra name in 2004 and the GT500/350 names afterwards.
I'd venture to guess that the GT350/500 resonate better (along with Mach 1, Boss, and Bullet) with the Mustang name plate then Cobra, which was an open top 2 door roadster
They also created something new in Dark Horse, though, so it's possible they might want to move away from the traditional names.
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Ford Cancels Next-Gen Electrical Architecture Development: Report
The automaker has also been working on developing a new electrical architecture over the past few years that was designed to help it better compete with the likes of Tesla, but now, it seems as if that project has been canceled.
According to Reuters, Ford has opted to nix its FNV4 (fully-networked vehicle) program, which it has invested heavily in with a goal of improving quality, cutting costs, and adding additional, profitable features to future models. Ultimately, delays and soaring costs are what sealed the architecture’s fate, but learnings from the program will be used in its current software program, regardless. Ford’s skunkworks EV team is also developing its own advanced electrical architecture, and that project remains on track.
FNV4 was intended to be a “zonal” system, one that bundles smaller software brains to control functions in certain parts of a vehicle and also communicate with a larger central brain, effectively shortening the length of pricey wiring harnesses and speeding up over-the-air-updates. Perhaps more notably, these types of advanced systems are also often used as a way to offer customers add-on subscription features such as BlueCruise. However, Farley recently revealed that the company’s low-cost EVs won’t offer advanced driver-assist systems such as Level 3 autonomy.
So back to the drawing board again? And the small EVs are a completely different setup??
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Regarding sales - I too am a bit concerned about pulling sales forward, but as has been pointed out, Ford had some higher inventory, so this plan may be helping to clear out a backlog.
There are some nice healthy/great numbers on there, especially on the Lincoln side, with nearly a 3k average for all models.....and crazy that Corsair had the lowest total of them all for the month.
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I've revamped my sales charts to look a bit nicer/more straightforward, and added some additional data - namely a new "percentage of sales" section on the right that shows a breakdown of the model's sales as a percentage of vehicle type (i.e. % of car sales, % of truck sales, % of SUV sales) for the month and year, and that model's sales as a percentage of the brand's sales. For Lightning and E-Transit, I also added a % of their sales vs. overall F-150/E-Transit sales.
I also think y'all will find the new quarterly truck detail more interesting & more thorough than before, but unfortunately I decided to revamp the charts after the Q1 quarterly reporting, so y'all will have to wait until Q2 to see that! 😛
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4 hours ago, twintornados said:
I kicked myself after I bought it because I promised myself I would buy a hybrid when I got it. Don't get me wrong, it was a nice vehicle, but I wanted more MPG's and bought the wrong vehicle for that goal. What pissed me off was guys driving their full size pickup trucks bragging about getting 23 MPG and I was thinking, "If they could get 23 MPG in their truck, why am I only 23 MPG in my Explorer?" So, yes, I did expect a little more.
That's fair regarding mileage of the trucks. At least you were still getting far better than my Bronco 😛
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23 minutes ago, akirby said:
Looks a lot better. Will this spur a Bronco Sport hybrid finally?
I'd have to imagine with Escape ending, that they'll give BS the hybrid model.
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17 minutes ago, Sherminator98 said:
They are? I wasn’t aware they arent the same type of constructionI think it's called SMC or something like that.
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11 hours ago, blazerdude20 said:
The GM forums and Reddit have 2025 owners complaining of CEL and a couple of engine failures at sub 10k mile ranges. I somehow doubt this is a production issue over 4-5 years
Might be right, I was just pointing out that the recall was specifically for 21-24 models.
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13 hours ago, Sherminator98 said:
They do now-I've seen white and Piano black 😛
I said MIC tops. The white and black are painted and a different material.
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Here's the new Compass......I don't mind the design. From the rear 3/4, it definitely gives me an Evoque vibe.
The new model shows off a boxier design compared to its predecessor and steps onto a new Stellantis platform, offering a range of powertrain options, including hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and fully electric variants.
More importantly, Jeep has promised an “expanded engine range with e-Hybrid, e-Hybrid plug-in, and fully electric options” for the new Compass, although non-electrified gasoline powertrains could be offered in regions outside Europe.
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Ford Extends Employee Pricing for All After Huge Success
It's been extended through July 6. It was previously set to end June 2.
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1 hour ago, blazerdude20 said:
This has been a long time coming. The current unsold inventory have a stop sale, would be a great time for Ford to get shoppers into the new Expeditions.
https://www.motortrend.com/news/2021-2024-gm-chevrolet-cadillac-gmc-trucks-suvs-l87-62l-v-8-recall
It's apparently 2021-2024 models, and doesn't seem to affect the 2025 models.
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16 hours ago, twintornados said:
I just traded my 2023 Explorer Timberline for a 2025 Maverick AWD Lariat hybrid....the Explorer was nice, but could not get over 23 MPG even if I drove it off a cliff....
Did you expect to get more?
14 hours ago, Sherminator98 said:
The problem with Tesla to a degree is the lack of diversity in their product lineup. A cheaper product from Tesla will just hurt 3/X sales because it won’t be that much different from them and be more appealing to customers in price. I’m sure the S had some sales taken from it the 3 also.
The cyber truck was an attempt at diversifying the lineup but just did everything wrong.
I still don't understand how they haven't redesigned the S (and to a lesser extent the X) yet. You can't go 12-13 years without a significant redesign and expect sales to stick around.
I also don't get the reports that they're concentrating more on Robotaxi production vs. a low-cost model.....I don't get who the target market for the Robotaxi will be? Unless they're making it for themselves and will operate them as a Tesla service?
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24 minutes ago, Boilerman said:
finally arrived, picked up late last week. great so far, dash takes some getting used to especially the rear facing camera on the mirror that shows up when using the turn signal. little dissappointed that did not have the digital device holder on the front headrests like seen in several early reviews.
Looks great! Any photos of the rear and interior?
I saw a black one the other day on the road, so it was hard to gauge how the rear panel truly looked since it all blended together. I was surprised how upright the rear looked.
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1 hour ago, T-dubz said:
I think they said you can install it yourself and it comes in precut sheets, but I know I can’t even put stickers on my kids legos straight so you won’t find me trying that.
My brother has put wrap on the bumper caps of his truck and it was a pain and involves a heat gun to get it to go around the curves. Granted, these panels are mostly square/flat, but still. I can't imagine trying to do the entire vehicle yourself.
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1 hour ago, Rick73 said:
Not a lot of details, but their preliminary specs state 20 to 80 percent with 480-Volt fast charge in 30 minutes, using NACS. Since battery is approximately 50 kWh with +/- 150 miles of range, that’s roughly 30 kWh in 30 minutes or 60 kW average charge rate from 20-80%. Also means maximum 90 miles of range added during those 30 minutes, or 180 miles per hour. In my opinion that’s pretty slow compared to say a base Tesla Model 3 that go well above 500 MPH.Didn't know Model 3s go that fast! 😛
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First 2026 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Integrated Prototype Spotted Testing
"GT500" (if they keep that name) mules spotted.
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17 hours ago, jpd80 said:
I’m wondering if Tesla has quietly killed its low cost EV since the brand has gone off the boil with sales.
Yeah, reports are that they've at minimum paused the "low cost" EV (jury is out if it was a unique model or a stripped 3/Y) in favor of the Robotaxi (which I'm still highly skeptical that it serves much of a purpose).
10 hours ago, Rick73 said:
Do you see this truck in all-or-nothing, black-and-white terms? That’s not the way the real world works for most people. Being affordable can not be the main advantage. IMO a vehicle can be 90% perfect and if the other 10% is flawed enough, rising to level of deal breakers, it won’t sell well. There are too many other choices. A vehicle has to be fairly good at pretty much everything to succeed in mass marketplace.Being open minded is not shifting the goal posts. Objectively, this Slate pickup is very interesting but far from great. Projected range is limited other than as a city car, charging in MPH rather slow, can’t tow much and bed a little short; though payload acceptable with smaller battery. Larger battery to increase range may reduce payload even more (yet to be determined). Biggest disadvantage IMO is that it’s a new company that may not be around long-term. Who wants to buy what could be the next Fisker?
A person can like some aspects or features of a particular thing (like a vehicle) and soundly dislike other parts. Objectivity requires seeing both the good and bad, and weighing without bias. I think that if this compact truck was manufactured by a well-established manufacturer its chances of success would be much higher. And if offered with gas engine, even higher.
Oh I have a variety of concerns about the Slate product. But it just seems like those that want a small, simple truck have such a specific wish list that unless a company threads a needle perfectly, they won't buy.
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16 hours ago, jpd80 said:
Agree 100%
They really have a problem with products that don’t seem important at the time but help with wider sales.
Would RAV4 have pipped FSeries fo sales lead if say, Escape had performed better instead of just sucking it up.
Well Escape is about to go away too, so that's not likely to help.
Frankly, I don't know how they're selling so many Rav4's.
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15 hours ago, akirby said:
They’re claiming the wrap kits are only $500, but that doesn’t cover installation and that’s not cheap.
lol....aka, here's the material, good luck!
11 hours ago, sullynd said:
Stainless is stainless, but I can’t see why Slate doesn’t offer multiple colors composite panels (Black for instance).The same reason Ford doesn't offer multiple color MIC tops on the Bronco.
Ford Vice Chair: Large EV Investments were a Mistake.
in E.V. Central
Posted
As has been mentioned by others, I think the deciding factor in many companies going "all in" was more the looming government regulations than actual market demand........though obviously short term "mega demand" projections based on the factors you mentioned like first adopters and supply chain issues probably accelerated some plans ahead of their skis.