Transit Connect Sales Dud?

[RichardJensen]

Here's the thing about the post office:

 

It's full of ex-armed services people.

 

Therefore, purchasing decisions have a sort of DoD feel. Hence the post office's equivalent of B52s. These Grummans will probably be used for generations-----

 

Before that, AFAIK, they used modified jeeps. I remember the family mail coming in a red white and blue jeep-based contraption when I was a kid.

[RichardJensen]

 

The mailman's parents lived across the street, and he'd always eat lunch with them.

 

(back when mailmen set their own routes--but also had to sort their own mail)

[Ford Jellymoulds]

 

The mailman's parents lived across the street, and he'd always eat lunch with them.

 

(back when mailmen set their own routes--but also had to sort their own mail)

 

Mail is collected from post boxes by Transit Connects, mail is gets sorted at the local Post Office its then delivered to the postmans house (Father-in-Law has post bags delivered to his house to help his local postmen out) of if they live near to the post office they pick it up from there. It's then delivered on foot or on a post office pedal cycle.

 

Health and Safety has have just banned the 30,000 fleet of Royal Mail Post Office pedal cycle after hundreds of years of use because they are dangerous, unstable, offers no protection. So they want a lot of postman to who can't drive to take driving tests as they are about to purchase a huge fleet of vehicles maybe Connects or something like KA's which l no longer think Ford offer as vans. So there is a big possible order in the pipeline.

 

Things have changed Britons Prime Minister David Cameron announced that he is going to cutback on government spending in every department by 40% as part of the UK Austerity cutbacks which will mean no new aircraft for the RAF, ships for the navy, Focus's & Volvo's for the police and Connects for the Post office, all government vehicles as in everything that moves will become a B-52 in the UK Richard.

 

Austere times ahead...

 

 

 

UK Austerity measures - Up to 40% cutbacks to hit nearly every government department.

LINK

Edited July 5, 2010 by Ford Jellymoulds

[BrewfanGRB]

Here's the thing about the post office:

 

It's full of ex-armed services people.

 

Therefore, purchasing decisions have a sort of DoD feel. Hence the post office's equivalent of B52s. These Grummans will probably be used for generations-----

 

Before that, AFAIK, they used modified jeeps. I remember the family mail coming in a red white and blue jeep-based contraption when I was a kid.

 

Your point is the most accurate on this issue, Richard. FJM (again!) does. not. get. it. The current USPS vehicles are designed to last forever and the USPS makes them last forever. There is no such thing as "why hasn't Ford sold thousands and thousands to the USPS?". Well, because they don't need any.

 

Personally, I think the TC is a well-suited vehicle to urban plumbers, electricians, etc. Folks that don't necessary haul a lot of HUGE parts/equipment, but need to have space for tools, small equipment, hardware, etc.

 

Around here (a small, rural town of 4500) most of those type just drive pickups anyway or E-series. The thought process is still a bit behind the times, so they wouldn't really consider the TC unless the E-series just went away.

[F250]

You don't know that they're 'waiting for buyers', ESPECIALLY if you used Ford's inventory search tool which shows vehicles in transit, and it shows vehicles that are custom ordered (e.g. large fleet purchases) as well as dealer allocation.

 

Heck, depending on how their system is configured, they may even be showing TCs that are being put on a boat in Turkey.

 

 

Should I drive by and take pictures of them lined up on the lots and post them on BON?

 

Trust me, if you want one you have several to choose from at any dealer in town. This "production limited" BS is not why TC sales are so low.

[RichardJensen]

Should I drive by and take pictures of them lined up on the lots and post them on BON?

Ask the fleet manager about them, while you're at it.

 

BTW, there are 108 F150s at the local Ford dealership. I guess they're not selling either.

[Marginal Economist]

You're right but most around here will never admit it.

First they say the low sales are because "production is limited" Bullshit. A quick check of S/E Va dealers show ALL of them have more than a dozen in stock and 2 have more than 25 in inventory...waiting for buyers. But to listen to blind fans around here you would think they are as hard to get as Shelbys.

 

Then they try to jump you because you mentioned the Detroit area so I highlighted in bold print that you were talking about nationwide sales.

 

Transit Connect Sales appear to be stalled in SE VA. I checked Beach Ford - They have 34 in stock and have sold 11 this year.

 

I checked a store in Las Vegas- They have 3 in stock and sold 34 this year.

 

Could be the market, could be the dealership - how aggressive are the dealers in SE VA? Do they take them out to the customers and demo them? Are they using them for parts delivery vehicles? The days of buying vehicles and opening up your doors, waiting for customers, is over.

[sullynd]

Saw four in SW Michigan yesterday and today, including a bright red one. Then again, I also saw six other Flex just on the way home.

[Noah Harbinger]

Here's the thing about the post office:

 

It's full of ex-armed services people.

 

Interesting, I wondered if that was just because San Diego is such a military town. Do veterans get bonus credit on the civil service tests?

 

Here, it tends more specifically towards ex-Marine Filipinos.

[F250]

Ask the fleet manager about them, while you're at it.

 

BTW, there are 108 F150s at the local Ford dealership. I guess they're not selling either.

 

June 2010 sales:

F-Series 46,502

Transit Connect 2,136

Crown Victoria (because it's fleet only) 3,026

 

There are many Transit Connects on the lots for all the wrong reasons.

 

Good thing Ford decided to "test the water" by importing the Transit Connect before investing into full scale production here. By the numbers a Panther replacement would be a better investment than the TC.

Edited July 6, 2010 by F250

[lfeg]

Couple of things on the Transit Connect.

I am seeing more on the road in NE Ohio and western PA each month. Not huge numbers, but more of them.

 

The TC is being slotted as a commercial vehicle. A commercial vehicle for a fairly narrow market. A compact, manuverable, economical cargo /delivery vehicle with excellent space utilization. Sales cannot be judged by consumer market standards.

 

Most of the TCs that I see in use fall into two catagories - companies replacing station wagons/small SUVs/small CUVs for pickup and delivery services, and small business replacing full size vans (that they did not fully utilize). Another thing to remember is that in many places business is still depressed. Funds are not expended until it is absolutely necessary. But even with this in mind, sales of 2000 a month is decent for a new commercial vehicle in a new category, and it looks as if Ford is sticking to their plan on the TC - bring it in to see if a market will develop.

 

And with financing, even if a TC has an equivalent cost to the Econoline, is a business does not need the capabilities of the econoline, and wants better space efficiency, the TC will give a lower cost of operation due to its fuel economy advantage. It does not take much improvement to do this, as over many years of using the E Series vans (150, 250, and 350) we have pretty much held at an overall fuel economy of 12 MPG. And this is with everything from the 300 six to the 5.4 V8.

[OHV 16V]

...I am seeing more on the road in NE Ohio and western PA each month. Not huge numbers, but more of them...

 

Nothing personal intended, but I live, work, travel in the exact same area, and I've seen TWO since launch, that's it. I always wondered if a small part of it had something to do with the E-Series plant being located in Avon Lake.

[suv_guy_19]

 

There are many Transit Connects on the lots for all the wrong reasons.

 

 

Around here, there aren't any on the lot. They're pretty much all of the road. Your narrow corner of the world isn't the whole world.

[NickF1011]

By the numbers a Panther replacement would be a better investment than the TC.

 

Except that the next gen TC will be built on the shared C2 platform, alongside other C2 vehicles. The Crown Vic replacement would share platforms with....? I'm all for a new RWD sedan, but the economies of scale far favor continued investment in a Transit Connect replacement over a replacement for the Panther.

Edited July 6, 2010 by NickF1011

[silvrsvt]

Good thing Ford decided to "test the water" by importing the Transit Connect before investing into full scale production here. By the numbers a Panther replacement would be a better investment than the TC.

 

 

Good thing Ford doesn't go "by the numbers" like you do....:rolleyes:

 

 

 

 

[RichardJensen]

Interesting, I wondered if that was just because San Diego is such a military town. Do veterans get bonus credit on the civil service tests?

 

Here, it tends more specifically towards ex-Marine Filipinos.

 

Your years in the military automatically count toward your seniority in the post office.

[NickF1011]

Good thing Ford doesn't go "by the numbers" like you do....:rolleyes:

 

Ferrari should just shut down too. I'm sure they've never sold 3,000 of any model in a month, let alone a year. :unsure:

[lfeg]

Nothing personal intended, but I live, work, travel in the exact same area, and I've seen TWO since launch, that's it. I always wondered if a small part of it had something to do with the E-Series plant being located in Avon Lake.

Do not see many on 90, 271, 79, 80, 76, or 2. Most of the ones I see are logoed for local businesses (cleaners, florists, and a caterer mostly) making deliveries in various neighborhoods. Also see them in the cities. I have noticed one medical lab is starting to use them, and I thought I saw one logoed for the Cleveland Clinic. Both the Clinic and the UH system have been using small sedans ans CUVs to pick up and drop off things among their facilities. I can see some of that going to the TC in the future. Probably not see many in Ashtabula or the Warren/Youngstown for quite a while. Businesses in those areas are still running on empty.

 

Again, I do not see a huge market for the TC, but maybe 15% to 20% of the current sales of the Econoline in hte next 5 years. Most businesses are fairly conservative in vehicle purchases, they wait to see how something is working out for others before they jump in.

Edited July 6, 2010 by lfeg

[silvrsvt]

I think the biggest problem we got here is that it boils down to this:

 

If I don't like product X, I'll use whatever data I can find and twist it to fit my needs...

 

Needless to say, I'm not a fan of any of the Panther products (except maybe when I'm in the back of a Town car coming home from the airport on a business trip)..but at the same time most facts out there support what is happening to them.

[FordBuyer]

Do not see many on 90, 271, 79, 80, 76, or 2. Most of the ones I see are logoed for local businesses (cleaners, florists, and a caterer mostly) making deliveries in various neighborhoods. Also see them in the cities. I have noticed one medical lab is starting to use them, and I thought I saw one logoed for the Cleveland Clinic. Both the Clinic and the UH system have been using small sedans ans CUVs to pick up and drop off things among their facilities. I can see some of that going to the TC in the future. Probably not see many in Ashtabula or the Warren/Youngstown for quite a while. Businesses in those areas are still running on empty.

 

Again, I do not see a huge market for the TC, but maybe 15% to 20% of the current sales of the Econoline in hte next 5 years. Most businesses are fairly conservative in vehicle purchases, they wait to see how something is working out for others before they jump in.

 

I believe the EV TC is due out this fall. Am I correct? I don't know how many Ford is making through their suppliers, but I would imagine 2,000/year. I haven't heard the final cost on the EV TC, but I'm sure closer to $30,000. I have heard the USPS is interested in buying some since most route carriers only drive about 50 miles a day. The USPS figures they can save a lot in fuel prices if they buy enough of them.

 

If Ford imports no more than 25,000 TC's/year, and monthly sales are around 2,100/month, then sounds like Ford is meeting expectations. However, if Ford is thinking about making it here, then I would suspect TC sales will have to be much higher than what they are presently. And whatever happened to the Hybrid E-Van that was announced a couple years ago? Another way for Ford to meet new CAFE rules coming up quickly.

[OHV 16V]

...and I thought I saw one logoed for the Cleveland Clinic.

Your eyes aren't deceiving you, that was the one I saw that I counted as #2. And actually, the other one I saw is in Youngstown.

[ZanatWork]

Down here in New Mexico, they're actually getting pretty thick on the ground. I'm seeing a few every day...and this state has less population than most big cities.

[NickF1011]

If Ford imports no more than 25,000 TC's/year, and monthly sales are around 2,100/month, then sounds like Ford is meeting expectations. However, if Ford is thinking about making it here, then I would suspect TC sales will have to be much higher than what they are presently. And whatever happened to the Hybrid E-Van that was announced a couple years ago? Another way for Ford to meet new CAFE rules coming up quickly.

 

Well, you can't buy what isn't available. A lot of markets are out of them or don't have enough to meet the demands of larger fleet customers, and as you mentioned, there are fleet customers who are showing a lot of interest but haven't pulled the trigger yet. Sales potential has nowhere to go but up on a vehicle like the TC.

 

Don't recall anything about a hybrid E-series though it might be possible. There have been E85 and natural gas versions though. :shrug:

[aneekr]

I guess, knowing the product a bit better, if I were an architect, I'd never consider that thing as suitable. It's, well, a van.

Why would it (or any other van) not be suitable for an architect? The Transit Connect Seems like the perfect vehicle for transporting models, drawings, building supplies, etc.

[hoss96racing]

I live in the metro Detroit area and usually see a couple of TC's a day. I drive 130 miles round trip for work, mostly I696 and I94. I have seen more TC's on the road then I have HHR panel wagons. I also see at least one or two Raptor's a week. That is one cool thing about this area, I have seen just about everything non-NA on the roads here, full size Transits, Ecosports, Ka's, Puma's, Austrailian caprices and Saturns... Buicks......uhh I mean Opels... that still have Opel badges...