medwilk

Hello: Just hoping you could get a vehicle update for me before you took off. 2013 C-Max Energi, Ruby Red VIN# 1FADP5CU2DL526388 Scheduled build date was 2/13/2013 Thanks so much.

I've been browsing the site and making a few posts for the last month or so but hadn't done a formal introduction yet. A few weeks ago I ordered a Cmax Energi (supposedly it's getting built in Wayne, MI today). Other than the occasional rental car, it'll be my first time in a Ford since the 1970s when my brother and I rode in what we called the "backity-back" of a Montego Station Wagon (if you don't know it, I found a picture of one and posted it below) I remember the thing seemed to go on forever. I swear Mercury could have cross-marketed it as a hearse. I'm happy about buying the Cmax Energi for many reasons. First, I'm excited about buying a plug-in hybrid. I remember hearing about the Volt in its concept-car stage and thinking "That's it. I want one of those." When I started looking I wasn't even aware of the Cmax Energi, but it quickly became my top choice, despite having trouble finding one on a dealer lot to test drive. It's sure going to be a big step up from the mileage my parents got on the Montego (which was not a good car to have when the oil shocks hit in the 70s). Second, I'm happy to be buying a car made in the US. Growing up, my parents (with the exception of the Montego) mostly bought Chryslers, which I tended to inherit around the 100,000 mile mark. When I finally bought a new car of my own around 2000 and looked at the choices for small, fuel-efficient cars, the US options were pretty dismal. It was the height of the SUV-era and the US companies were putting out small cars that were completely uninspiring and, if memory recalls, most weren't even being built in the US. I ended up picking up a Mazda (I think Ford owned a big chunk of them at the time, so at least some of my money worked its way to Detroit). Third, I'm very glad that my car is going to be built by union workers. I'm in a union now and back in the 90s I worked for a while for the Federation down in DC and was involved directly or indirectly in a couple of organizing campaigns. Back then I was really hopeful that labor was getting back on its feet and I had one of those "The Labor Movement: The Folks Who Brought You The Weekend" bumper stickers slapped on the back my Chrysler LeBaron. Now it's so depressing I can hardly stand to read another article about the latest blow to the union movement. When I walk in to the dealership in a few weeks and sign the papers I'll get some satisfaction knowing that some of my money will help sustain communities and an industry where labor is still making a difference. Maybe if union people can just hang on a little longer we can get back to the point where a union job with union wages and union benefits is part of the American Dream again, something that people aspire to, rather than something people feel is undeserved and should be torn down. To finish, I just wanted to say thanks to the men and women of Local 900 in Wayne. I know you'll build a great car for me and my boys. Hopefully, my sons will remember the Cmax as fondly as I remember that old Montego (even if it doesn't have much of a "backity back").

Thanks for the explanation akirby. Your answer reaffirmed my core understanding of who benefits from the X-Plan, but I hadn't realized the PINs had become a commodity themselves. Makes sense Ford wouldn't want that to get out of hand. I'm just happy I discovered that I could take advantage of it. Definitely reduced some of the stress and uncertainty.

I'm actually buying a Ford using the X-Plan through an employer, and I have to admit I'm a little bit puzzled as to the precise purpose and pro/con calculations from the perspective of consumers, dealers, and manufacturer (i.e. Ford). I stumbled accidentally across the whole concept of X-Plan pricing while sorting out some benefits issues online and it took me a while to flesh out the details as I talked to dealers. It also took me a while before I felt reasonably confident that purchasing using the X-Plan was, on the whole, a good deal. My interpretation is that X-Plan pricing was something that provides consumers with the confidence of receiving a good purchase price, though not necessarily the lowest possible price if they looked around more and haggled. Ford would get a reasonable profit on the cars they sold through the X-plan. Dealers would get a commission, but by losing control over pricing they would lose the ability to push the price towards or even above MSRP (and therefore get some more cash out of naive consumers or people buying hot models). As a whole, my interpretation is that the X-Plan generally worked in favor of Ford and customers, but that it puts a modest squeeze on the incomes of dealers who see no upside. Consequently, I'm not sure I understand why Ford would be cracking down on issuing X-Plan PINs. On the other hand, these are the inferences of an outsider who doesn't know how the money flows behind closed doors. Is there something that I'm missing?

The local PD here in Lower Merion (suburban Philadelphia) just made the shift from Crown Vics to the Explorer Interceptor. I was a little surprised they went with an SUV - most of the town is pretty densely developed and we don't get too much snow. There are some scattered large estates, however, we have lots of hills, and while most winters produce less than 20in of snow we got about 7ft a few years ago. According to the article, some of the big issues were comfort for the officers and the AWD (they need to put chains on the Crown Vics). Priced out at about $30,000 each. http://www.mainlinemedianews.com/articles/2013/01/28/main_line_times/news/doc50feaab334d84434133495.txt?viewmode=fullstory They do look pretty intimidating.

Definitely looks like special orders are moving forward much more quickly now, even if they are still rare on dealer lots (at least around here). I ordered mine Jan. 8, VIN came through in 2-3 weeks, window sticker a week or so later and my build date is Feb. 13. I'd been pretty resigned to waiting 3 mos., but now that it seems its going to show up much sooner I'm getting some actual butterflies of excitement. Very unusual because in the past I've mostly thought of cars in pretty functional terms.

Interesting bit of news about auto manufacturers passing on the Southeast US and setting up shop in Mexico. On the one hand, in historical terms it's completely predictable. If you look at something like textiles or consumer electronics, the progression was Northeast/Midwest, then down to the South, and then finally offshore (Latin America/Asia). Based on that pattern, all the boosters of the southern economy who sang the praises of free markets and a low-wage, anti-union environment as the way to attract auto production will soon turn into economic nationalists. On the other hand, my sense is that unlike some industries (particularly textiles), labor costs are a comparatively small (and ever smaller) portion of auto manufacturing costs and that transportation costs are becoming relatively more significant. In that sense, auto firms locating in Mexico instead of the Southeast might be less about searching out lower labor costs and more about putting production closer to a growing market in Mexico and Latin America. Furthermore, a plant in northern Mexico is actually a little closer to big US consumer markets like California than the Southeast is. So my sense of history says this might be a sign that the auto industry in the SE is hitting its peak, but when looking at the specifics of auto production and the current market I'm not so sure.

I have a 2011 Odyssey that I've been very happy with - no problems that couldn't be traced back to two mischievous little boys (can't recall them). I guess I should follow up with Honda though because I haven't received any formal notification of either recall mentioned in the article. It might sound weird, but I think I'm a little more concerned that I haven't been contacted about the recalls, as opposed to being concerned about the safety issues that are the subject of the recalls.

It's funny, because I remember my first car was an old Dodge Aspen that, of course, had a full-sized spare that was even part of the cycle when rotating tires. When I finally unloaded the Aspen in the early-90s I was uncomfortable with the fact that my new car only had a donut. I think I even looked into whether or not I could get a full-sized spare. Now, 20 years later and I've ordered an Energi with no spare whatsoever, and my reaction is a nonchalant "Meh?" I guess the big issue is cell phones. Once I broke down near sunset along the highway in rural North Carolina in the pre-cell phone era and I felt very fortunuate that I was travelling with my bicycle. So I pedaled off to the nearest exit in the failing light and found a motel where I could borrow a phone (and spend the night). Now I wouldn't worry too much (particularly living in the East where you don't have many dead zones).

I'm hoping someone out there has an answer to this question.... How bad is it if you don't have a dedicated circuit to use the Level 1 charger? My house is about 110 years old (just this past year I stumbled across and shut down a couple of old knob and tube lines) and I'm not an electrician, so I'm a little uncertain, but my impression is that all the circuits are being used right now. I have one outside outlet near where the Energi will be parked that might not power anything other than a triple cluster of floods. I'll have to check on that. So if I try to charge it with that outlet and it's not dedicated, what's my worst case scenario? It keeps tripping the circuit? It doesn't charge efficiently? I have to remove the bulbs from the floodlights? The car and house simultaneously burst into flame? Any information would be helpful as I await the arrival of my bouncing baby Energi.

I just saw this article, which, in the process of reviewing the C-Max Energi, dismisses diesel engines as a long-term technology for cars. http://www.newsday.com/classifieds/cars/c-max-energi-moves-plug-in-hybrid-technology-forward-1.4431737 I wonder, though, if he is missing something - why not a diesel plug-in hybrid? One of the knocks on the C-Max is that it underperforms on long-distance highway travel, which, if I understand correctly, is where a diesel engine excels. So it seems to me that if you want to maximize fuel efficiency with current technology a diesel plug-in hybrid is your best-case scenario. Has anyone heard of a manufacturer (like Ford) moving in this direction? I know diesel is still big in Europe. Are there diesel hybrids sold elsewhere?

For those with an Energi (or planning to get one), you might be interested to learn that the tax bill Congress just hammered out included reviving a 30% tax credit for installing an electric car charging station. It seems to be for 2013 and, retroactively, for 2012 (my understanding is that the previous credit expired in 2011). You can read more here http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/In-Gear/2013/0104/Fiscal-cliff-deal-bodes-well-for-green-energy