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Ford delays Explorer, Aviator EVs


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From Automotive News:

 

DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. is delaying the start of production of battery-electric versions of the Explorer and Lincoln Aviator crossovers by roughly 18 months and no longer plans to build them in Cuautitlan, Mexico, paving the way to substantially hike Ford Mustang Mach-E output.

 

Ford informed suppliers in a memo this week that the new EVs, previously code-named CDX746 and CDX747, are now slated to go into production in December 2024 as programs U759 and U760.

 

https://www.autonews.com/cars-concepts/ford-delays-explorer-aviator-evs

Edited by ExplorerDude
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Out of Mexico, to... ?

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Ford Motor Co. is delaying the start of production of battery-electric versions of the Explorer and Lincoln Aviator crossovers by roughly 18 months and no longer plans to build them in Cuautitlan, Mexico.

Ford informed suppliers in a memo this week that the vehicles, previously code-named CDX746 and CDX747, are now slated to go into production in December 2024 as programs U759 and U760.

 

Ford North America COO Lisa Drake, in an interview Friday, declined to comment on plans for the upcoming Explorer and Aviator EVs, which Ford has not confirmed.

However, Drake said that Ford now plans to dedicate the entire Cuautitlan plant to Mustang Mach-E production, and plans to scale up to 200,000 Mach-Es there annually by 2023. Output will begin to ramp up in 2022.


Ford CEO Jim Farley has aggressively expanded Ford's electrification plans since becoming chief executive in October 2020. He told Automotive News last month that Ford planned to increase its global EV production capacity to 600,000 vehicles annually over the next 24 months.

The new production timing for the Explorer and Aviator EVs would fall just outside of that timeline.

 

It's going to be one of the existing plants in proximity to the 2 battery plants being built in Kentucky. 

Maybe MME will supplant Escape sales, allowing Louisville enough down time to be converted?

Edited by Harley Lover
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1 hour ago, Harley Lover said:

Out of Mexico, to... ?

It's going to be one of the existing plants in proximity to the 2 battery plants being built in Kentucky. 

Maybe MME will supplant Escape sales, allowing Louisville enough down time to be converted?

Now the penny drops with Ford, it needs way more production space than its current  plan allowed.

This is Ford making plans on the fly so it will be interesting to see how this gets done…

 

The slow, gradual adoption of BEVs is being replaced by a scramble to get adequate production space, I wonder if BEVs will jump to 40-50% production in the next five years….

Edited by jpd80
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15 minutes ago, jpd80 said:

OK, BEV/Explorer Aviator now arrive in three years time, could that signal Chicago is coming into play?

An earlier suggesting that ICE plants converting to BEV, could they keep ICE manufacturing as well?

As I figured would happen 2023 negotiations are setting up to be very interesting. People up here at OAC thought we were gonna retool earlier. I said I doubt that because Ford will want to wait til AFTER the contract is hammered out to spell out their plan. We get a 590 million dollar investment yet we don’t know much about what their plan is. Now factor in Joe Bidens policies and the UAW who will be seeking investment in their facilities and who knows what the fuck will happen or where these products end up. Our government is negotiating with FOMOCO for a battery plant up here at OAC so who knows.

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20 minutes ago, jpd80 said:

OK, BEV/Explorer Aviator now arrive in three years time, could that signal Chicago is coming into play?

An earlier suggesting that ICE plants converting to BEV, could they keep ICE manufacturing as well?

How would Chicago be able to manage ice and EV at the same time?? They would have to expand the facility would they not???

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14 minutes ago, DeluxeStang said:

So will production of the ev explorer take place in Chicago alongside the normal explorer? That's what I'm thinking.

Great question.

A dual purpose manufacturing plant would give Ford the flexibility it needs to balance output, the problem is whether complexity outweighs advantage of a single plant. I’m beginning to warm to the idea that anticipated EV production is greater and both EV and ICE can be built under the one roof……we’ll see though…

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13 minutes ago, jpd80 said:

Great question.

A dual purpose manufacturing plant would give Ford the flexibility it needs to balance output, the problem is whether complexity outweighs advantage of a single plant. I’m beginning to warm to the idea that anticipated EV production is greater and both EV and ICE can be built under the one roof……we’ll see though…

Don’t overlook OAC, I’m just skeptical about this whole plan and doubt they will come here. Explorer is a huge seller and who knows If they can pull it off with ice and EV in Chicago. Lots going on ford is in transition. Some of these assembly plants will have to be repurposed for other uses as the volumes start to change ice vs EV.

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22 minutes ago, akirby said:

This is probably Ford’s biggest weakness - it takes too long to implement new plans and they frequently change plans mid stream.  Sometimes it’s beyond their control.  Sometimes it’s market changes,  sometimes it’s just poor planning.

Also requires feedback from potential buyers/ reservations, that doesn’t happen until a product is announced/offered. Had Lightning reservation been say, 10,000 reservations then none of the subsequent actions/ spend would have taken place.

 

I am surprised that there wasn’t a transitional Explorer that used Lightning’s frame and electronics, that would have justified using Chicargo for the next few years (water under the bridge now)

Edited by jpd80
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I think with the better than expected sales of Mach-E and Lighting, Ford realized they couldn't make enough batteries for those two, plus Explorers.  So they'll be taking that battery ramp up time and make the EV Explorer even better.

 

At least that's what I'm hoping they are doing.

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32 minutes ago, Oacjay98 said:

Don’t overlook OAC, I’m just skeptical about this whole plan and doubt they will come here. Explorer is a huge seller and who knows If they can pull it off with ice and EV in Chicago. Lots going on ford is in transition. Some of these assembly plants will have to be repurposed for other uses as the volumes start to change ice vs EV.

Do you think Ford could pull the old switcharoo and maybe  move the BEVs to Louisville?

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44 minutes ago, SoonerLS said:

They make the E-Transit at KCAP alongside the Transit, so I wonder what would prevent them from building a BEV Explorer alongside the ICE Explorer.
 

Maybe that’s where they get additional usage for Flat Rock? 


Chicago is already at or very close to capacity as it currently runs. 
 

 

The only part of Flat Rock that can handle an Explorer right now is the inspection line because it's already been modified from when they were fixing them there 2 years ago. 

 

28 minutes ago, jpd80 said:

Do you think Ford could pull the old switcharoo and maybe  move the BEVs to Louisville?

 

Can they? Yeah, probably. Will they? I have my doubts. 

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Ford is building two final assembly plant at BlueOval City in TN. One for F-150 and one for... take a guess!

 

 

Also Mike Levine confirmed on social media today that Ford will immediately ramp up Mach E productions to meet the demand. 200k annualized volume by 2023, part of Farley's plan to get to 600k.

Edited by bzcat
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