morgan20

Nah, people actually liked and wanted the rebates, discounts, and other deals that Ford and its dealers offered on their unibody sedans more than anything about the cars themselves, which were unremarkable. The Ford big shots absolutely did the right thing to exit the sedan segment back in 2020. That segment continues to decline to this day.

Jimbo may have done some moronic things in his Ford career, but dumping boring anonymous unibody blob crossovers like Edge and Escape ain't one of them. To akirby's point, he understands that higher sales numbers do not necessarily indicate a healthy business, and that Ford is better off as a company embracing the no boring cars mantra even if it results in unit sales decline.

Yea, exactly. A survey by S&P Global Mobility found: The high purchase price of an electric vehicle is the biggest barrier for potential buyers on a global scale, a recent study from S&P Global Mobility shows. Almost half of all respondents to the survey listed affordability as the main concern when considering a new EV. When it comes to range anxiety, most respondents said they would accept a minimum EV range below 300 miles, while only 29 percent would prefer a minimum range above 300 miles.

S650 is effectively a refresh of S550. So why bother with a second refresh 😄 To Sherminator98's point, there isn't much competition currently for Mustang coupe/vert from other automakers. So it's no surprise the big shots at Ford want to stick with the status quo.

The biggest EV hurdle is the price premium for consumers. Ford's big shots including the head honcho said this hurdle will be cleared with the upcoming CE1 products. Hopefully Frick is up to the task of launching these products on time, in high-volume, with high quality.

Hopefully the latter!

Yea, that does seem a bit puzzling. If I'm not mistaken the affected engine is the new generation MPC 2.3L introduced for 2025 model year Explorer, Bronco, and Ranger. It's substantially changed compared to the 2.3L engine for 2024 and earlier model years. Interestingly, the same engine has also been used in S650 Mustang Ecoboost since 2024 but that vehicle isn't mentioned on the recall.

The big shots at Slate claim they ain't interested in the connected vehicle, selling customer data business model according to SAE Automotive startup Slate doesn't see data as a business plan. Yes, its app will collect information, but a Slate spokesperson, when asked if collected data will be sold for additional revenue, told SAE Media a flat “No.” “Slate is not building the app around data extraction,” the company said. “We are building it around ownership value. We collect data to make ownership better, not to turn the owner into the product. The app will collect data only when it directly contributes to enabling or improving a customer experience. Privacy is paramount. For Slate, privacy is not a compliance footnote. It is part of the product experience. Customers should understand what is being shared, why it matters, and how it helps them own the vehicle with more confidence. That may include data needed to support account setup, device-to-vehicle connection, diagnostics, maintenance guidance, service support, charging context, OTA update status, customer support, and product improvement. Slate is being intentional about what the app can do and what data it collects. We would rather be precise and trusted than overpromise connected features or collect data without a clear customer benefit.” That companion app is the only way Slate connects to its upcoming pickup/SUV models. The electric vehicles do not have a modem. It can't phone home to share your location or driving style. For the startup, a modem is just another additional expense that adds cost to the end product. If people want to be connected, they have a smartphone.

Yea, Frick is a Ford lifer. Roundabout ways using lots of words to say very little is to be expected from that big shot.

Thanks for the data from Australia jpd80 my friend. In addition to high fuel prices, more choices for BEV, HEV, and PHEV must have helped the growth of those vehicle types. Are Tesla’s and them Chinese automakers expansion makin’ for a more competitive new car market for Australian consumers? Better affordability?

Yea, also the trademarks were obtained around the same time that Project T3 was announced, we all know how Ford royally screwed that one up

Could FoMoCo corporate and Ford Energy work together to repurpose old batteries from EVs to power its factories, like what Rivian is doin' at its plant in Normal, IL? A Factory That Runs on Recycled EV Batteries Conor Grant, Wall Street Journal, April 17, 2026 Electric-vehicle startup Rivian has found an unusual power source for its Illinois car factory: old batteries from its own cars. Rivian is joining with Redwood Materials—a battery-recycling firm started by Tesla co-founder JB Straubel—to create the largest repurposed-battery energy storage system for an automotive manufacturer in the U.S., according to executives. Once completed later this year, Rivian’s plant in Normal, Ill., will draw electricity from more than 100 Rivian EV batteries in an area the size of a small parking lot. It will reduce Rivian’s dependence on the power grid during peak demand hours. 10 megawatt-hours - How much energy Rivian and Redwood’s setup is initially expected to provide, equivalent to about 1,000 home-energy battery storage units linked together. The partnership is the latest example of the battery-energy storage industry boom in the U.S., where lithium-ion packs—not dissimilar to those in EVs—are increasingly used to power businesses, industrial facilities, residential zones and AI data centers.

Will Mitsubishi Motors get a rebadge of Dongfeng Z9/Nissan Frontier Pro?

Iconic products that aren't boring combined with innovation and organizational agility are what will help Ford compete effectively in the affordable cars market in U.S., Australia, China, and EU.

MME's rear cargo area is quite serviceable, compares favorably to Model Y and Ioniq 5 and only slightly less spacious than the '09 Edge my wife used to own. Plus, there's additional storage space in the frunk.