rmc523

Next-Gen Ford EV Platform Will Have Its Own Architecture “We simply made a decision to merge two of our electrical architectures into a common electrical architecture for use across many more vehicles, across all powertrain types, to have the connected digital experiences that have been so well received in products like the F-150, Mustang Mach-E and Lincoln Nautilus and Navigator, while many others in the industry are bringing the most advanced tech only to EVs,” Bergg added. “Now, future EVs AND vehicles like Bronco, Mustang, Super Duty, Ranger and Transit will have those capabilities too.”

One thing to point out for better or worse is that the guy they're talking to WAS recently Ford Europe's old boss and is now VW's boss. So he has seen both sides of the partnership now, which can either mean he's telling the truth that it was beneficial for both sides, OR.....he's talking from the VW side of things, and what didn't make sense numbers-wise from his perspective last week (figuratively speaking) at Ford now makes complete sense to him at VW this week, as VW is profiting from sharing the tech and making them for Ford. Ford Of Europe Boss Martin Sander Resigns, Heads Back To VW I have always viewed these VW-based models as stop gaps until Ford got its own in-house platform developed. With CE1 on the horizon, I would have to assume that FoE also has access to CE1 for its own products (if not a few global ones) going forward, right? So, IMO, why would they bother intertwining themselves more with VW for another 6-7 year product cycle times 2 more vehicles on what has been reported as an overpriced, underperforming platform, when they have their own shiny new in-house version nearly ready to go now??

Since it's Ford we're talking about, it's likely been canceled, revived, canceled again, and now will be out next week before it's canceled as the vehicles are rolling into the showroom lol. I'd have to do a deeper dive into the numbers, but IIRC, Expedition had a fairly significant uptick with the 2018 model and its '22 MCE and has remained pretty steady since, IIRC. Through the first few months of this year, it's been down because of the model changeover, but now we're seeing the 2025 models roll in with the new design and sales are going up.....imagine that, keeping a product fresh will result in higher sales.......who'd have thought??? Mach E has had more updates under the skin vs. exterior or interior. Not much has changed design wise for it aside from the Rally version. I know there are some minor changes to the '25, but they probably should've done a bit more. I also think they should've done more on the Bronco Sport's refresh on the exterior, as I feel it doesn't have the same....design power?.....as the Bronco itself. In other words, Bronco gets a pass/longer design cycle while still being fresh vs. the Bronco sport in the compact segment where buyers will be more fickle. That said, maybe they want to keep the Bronco/Bronco Sport aligned design-wise so that one isn't ahead of the other with the overall theme? Yeah, I've seen a couple shadow black painted tops at the dealer and on the road, and I'm jealous of them since that's what I originally ordered........BUT, I've very much enjoyed having the car vs. waiting for that top. As others have said, Bronco (proper) is sort of it's own beast, though, and can survive on an extended timeline similar to Wrangler. I'd push for 4/8 refresh/redesign, but they definitely shouldn't go more than 5/10. The "beauty" of Bronco's design, though, is that they could probably give it new quarter panels all around fairly easily while retaining the same body and even doors to keep it fresh but keep costs down. It'll be interesting to see where they go design-wise with it. The did give it the new digital gauge cluster (which it should've had to begin with) across the board and finally rear air vents for '25, but otherwise no updates.

Not being able to drive is definitely not "young" exclusive lol.....I see plenty of people of all ages that are completely clueless.... also, it seems the smaller the car, the worse they drive/park. Shhhhhhhhhhh. I didn't buy it for fuel economy (though had a hybrid model been offered, I'd have chosen it).

Cobra Logo Trademark Filing Hints At New Ford Mustang Variant This is for a UK/EU trademark, but still hints at them possibly using it.

Yeah, I miss those guys being around, and how busy it used to be. Ah the good old days lol.

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.

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.

Who knows with Ford having a new plan daily lol.

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).

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.

They also created something new in Dark Horse, though, so it's possible they might want to move away from the traditional names.

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??

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.

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! 😛

That's fair regarding mileage of the trucks. At least you were still getting far better than my Bronco 😛

I'd have to imagine with Escape ending, that they'll give BS the hybrid model.

I think it's called SMC or something like that.

Might be right, I was just pointing out that the recall was specifically for 21-24 models.

I said MIC tops. The white and black are painted and a different material.

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.

Ford Extends Employee Pricing for All After Huge Success It's been extended through July 6. It was previously set to end June 2.

It's apparently 2021-2024 models, and doesn't seem to affect the 2025 models.

Did you expect to get more? 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?

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.