The Cheap Hybrid Ford Maverick Won't Be Stocked at Dealerships (Update: For Now)

[silvrsvt]

https://www.thedrive.com/news/41794/the-cheap-hybrid-ford-maverick-wont-be-stocked-at-dealerships-report?fbclid=IwAR3oIe5fmHzi2om3QJ83OI_4OqVv_mEMBPKWQEOpNnCKpCfZ9wX7Gpon1Ho

 

Updated at 2:41 p.m. ET on 08/2/2021: Following the publication of this article, a Ford spokesperson responded to our request for comment: "The demand for the standard hybrid powertrain is very strong. As we ramp up production, we are doing everything we can to make sure we allocate vehicles to customers who placed retail orders but plan to have stock inventory to view at local Ford dealerships, as well."

[rperez817]

Hopefully the majority of Mavericks sold in the U.S. will be retail customer sold orders, with a few demonstrators and a few stock units at each dealership

[Deanh]

……………..and we are already dealing with people that want to wait, see and drive the vehicle before they commit.....good luck on THAT scenario.....funny.

[jcartwright99]

44 minutes ago, Deanh said:

……………..and we are already dealing with people that want to wait, see and drive the vehicle before they commit.....good luck on THAT scenario.....funny.

 

Rightly so. You better have demo's available at all dealerships. I won't order a vehicle I haven't driven.  I won't be treated like a Tesla zealot that will take a car sight unseen. 

 

I get the push for lower inventories to reduce use of incentives but it must be a mixed approach. 

 

What I don't fully understand if this means that they have so much demand for hybrid orders, they will not be stocking dealers up until those orders get fulfilled. Much like they are trying to do with the Bronco (but failing in epic proportions).

[fuzzymoomoo]

So they’re taking the Bronco approach and building for those who actually want one first. What’s the problem? 

[akirby]

58 minutes ago, jcartwright99 said:

 

Rightly so. You better have demo's available at all dealerships. I won't order a vehicle I haven't driven.  I won't be treated like a Tesla zealot that will take a car sight unseen. 

 

I get the push for lower inventories to reduce use of incentives but it must be a mixed approach. 

 

What I don't fully understand if this means that they have so much demand for hybrid orders, they will not be stocking dealers up until those orders get fulfilled. Much like they are trying to do with the Bronco (but failing in epic proportions).

I think it just means they expect to sell all the hybrids they can make initially as retail orders / reservations.

 

They are not going away from dealer stock, just reducing inventory to 45-60 days supply presumably with fewer option combinations.

[akirby]

9 minutes ago, fuzzymoomoo said:

So they’re taking the Bronco approach and building for those who actually want one first. What’s the problem? 

There isn’t one.  Slow news day.

[jpd80]

In other news, Ford makes Mavericks, people are to free to order or be a walk-in buyer

[FordBuyer]

What this report says to me is Ford can still only build a limited number of hybrid models. Same with Escape hybrid...maybe 25% of Escapes are hybrids even though they are in high demand. You would think after 15 years of building hybrids, they could build up a bigger supply base than they currently have. If it takes years to come out with BS hybrid, it will probably be this weak supplier base that seems to continue. 

[jpd80]

22 minutes ago, FordBuyer said:

What this report says to me is Ford can still only build a limited number of hybrid models. Same with Escape hybrid...maybe 25% of Escapes are hybrids even though they are in high demand. You would think after 15 years of building hybrids, they could build up a bigger supply base than they currently have. If it takes years to come out with BS hybrid, it will probably be this weak supplier base that seems to continue. 

It’s to be expected in the first 12 months, Ford is prioritising the 2.0 EB

and those that want a cheap hybrid will have to order it…..

[Havelock]

I wonder if the fall/winter release date coupled with AWD being a 2.0 turbo only option is playing a part in this.

[jpd80]

1 hour ago, Havelock said:

I wonder if the fall/winter release date coupled with AWD being a 2.0 turbo only option is playing a part in this.

Ford normally likes to sell a rich trim mix in the first twelve months of a vehicle’s launch,

the hybrids are available as a customer order but sure, they’re going hard with the 2.0 EB.

[bzcat]

With 40% of production volume being hybrid, it won't be hard to get one per se. You just have to order one instead of being able to buy one off the lot.

 

The question is demand... We don't have access to pre-order data. It would be interesting to dive into that and make sense of Ford's production planning. 

 

For example, maybe Ford is seeing strong demand from fleets for hybrid while first year retail customers are gravitating towards AWD (2.0 EB only). That would explain the 40/60 split and limited dealer inventory for hybrid.

 

 

[jpd80]

There’s a litter rider though,  hybrid production will ramp up to 40% during 2021,

so they may be a little scarce in the Q3 but definitely there in Q4

[silvrsvt]

7 hours ago, jpd80 said:

There’s a litter rider though,  hybrid production will ramp up to 40% during 2021,

so they may be a little scarce in the Q3 but definitely there in Q4

 

That is if it doesn't run into the parts issues that the Bronco is getting plagued by now. 

[jpd80]

1 hour ago, silvrsvt said:

 

That is if it doesn't run into the parts issues that the Bronco is getting plagued by now. 

C2 platform vehicles have different parts and suppliers to T6 but they still need similar electronic parts…

[akirby]

I see they’re now allowing F150 orders to remove auto stop/start (epa fuel economy gets revised lower as a result).  

[ice-capades]

7 minutes ago, akirby said:

I see they’re now allowing F150 orders to remove auto stop/start (epa fuel economy gets revised lower as a result).  

 

I posted a copy of Ford's notice yesterday morning in the 2021 F-150 Production Information thread. 

[silvrsvt]

1 hour ago, jpd80 said:

C2 platform vehicles have different parts and suppliers to T6 but they still need similar electronic parts…

 

I get that, but they might have a supplier issue like Splash Guards (Yes I'm salty about that LOL)

[bzcat]

11 hours ago, jpd80 said:

There’s a litter rider though,  hybrid production will ramp up to 40% during 2021,

so they may be a little scarce in the Q3 but definitely there in Q4

 

Maverick does have a new electric motor different from Escape hybrid... so there maybe some truth to the supply constraint on hybrid. Or Ford is deliberately choosing to have a slow roll out.

[FordBuyer]

57 minutes ago, bzcat said:

 

Maverick does have a new electric motor different from Escape hybrid... so there maybe some truth to the supply constraint on hybrid. Or Ford is deliberately choosing to have a slow roll out.

 

Ford put out a statement yesterday that Jalopnik posted that basically said that hybrid models will make up 40% of the mix and that dealers will have an adequate inventory of hybrid models to show. Hopefully better than Bronco Sport and Escape which are nowhere to be found. Here in Central Florida, there are ZERO Escape hybrids and Bronco Sports. 

[akirby]

31 minutes ago, FordBuyer said:

 

Here in Central Florida, there are ZERO Escape hybrids

Maybe they’re selling them as fast as they come in.   

[FordBuyer]

57 minutes ago, akirby said:

Maybe they’re selling them as fast as they come in.   

 

Well, if you look at July sales numbers for Escape and BS, I would say No. LAP I believe recently opened at reduced capacity and Hermisillo hasn't been opened much. Maybe 2nd half of this month will improve, but so far Ford has another 70,000 parked pickups to ship. 

 

[jcartwright99]

Does anyone know if the Maverick will get the trick differential from the BS Badlands? I see there is an FX4 package but doesn't seem like it comes with it. I wonder if they would create a Tremor model to include that? 

 

Also, the question I've gotten asked from a few friends that are interested in the Maverick is why no AWD with the hybrid. I remember one of the auto sites had something on that but can't find it and don't remember. Is this something they will add after launch. It seems like a no brainer to me to add it since you can get an Escape hybrid with AWD.

 

[akirby]

41 minutes ago, jcartwright99 said:

Does anyone know if the Maverick will get the trick differential from the BS Badlands? I see there is an FX4 package but doesn't seem like it comes with it. I wonder if they would create a Tremor model to include that? 

I fully expect to see a Badlands style Maverick soon.  I’m also thinking they’ll do a Warthog style BS and Mav with the 2.3L engine and maybe the rear electric motor from the Corsair GT.

 

41 minutes ago, jcartwright99 said:

Also, the question I've gotten asked from a few friends that are interested in the Maverick is why no AWD with the hybrid. I remember one of the auto sites had something on that but can't find it and don't remember. Is this something they will add after launch. It seems like a no brainer to me to add it since you can get an Escape hybrid with AWD.

I believe the battery pack interferes with the driveshaft.  That’s why Corsair GT has an electric motor for the rear wheels only.

Edited August 4, 2021 by akirby