akirby Posted August 11 Share Posted August 11 5 hours ago, jpd80 said: Yes and a CD6 Explorer Sport Track is probably way too close to close to F150 in size but some will die wondering what might have been, maybe it just cannibalises SUV sales? Sport Trac only existed because Ranger was too small for a proper crew cab and crew cab F150s were just starting to become popular. With Maverick, Ranger and F150 being all or mostly crew cabs it’s the answer to a question nobody is asking. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texasota Posted August 11 Share Posted August 11 14 hours ago, Rick73 said: Not a problem. Electric motors will make up required incremental power and torque. BEV trucks can tow quite well except for range so same motors when used in EREV applications will tow just as well even if gas engine doesn’t contribute much additional power and torque. Only major difference is that batteries will drain faster when towing, which will likely occur anyway unless engine is oversized. This is wishful thinking. If what you are saying were true then the Ford HEV and Ford PHEV I have been driving since 2014 would not need a eCVT transmission. This single speed transmission will help an EREV in narrow speed and power situations only. A majority of the time the clutch will have to be disengaged to allow the ICE to ramp up RPMs to drive the generator. This will be especially true when the battery is depleted as California requires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick73 Posted August 11 Share Posted August 11 2 hours ago, Texasota said: This is wishful thinking. If what you are saying were true then the Ford HEV and Ford PHEV I have been driving since 2014 would not need a eCVT transmission. This single speed transmission will help an EREV in narrow speed and power situations only. A majority of the time the clutch will have to be disengaged to allow the ICE to ramp up RPMs to drive the generator. This will be especially true when the battery is depleted as California requires. With due respect you’re confusing yourself by comparing apples and oranges. The type of vehicle I’m talking about is like the BYD that has over 400 HP of electric motos, and can function like a competent BEV even when engine isn’t running at all; which obviously is the preferred mode of operation for EREV and PHEV to start with. Your PHEV is not even close to that level of power. By the way, how can it be wishful thinking when it’s already being done by Honda on their HEV and BYD on PHEV which happens to be very similar to an EREV? It’s not fiction, just good engineering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted August 11 Share Posted August 11 (edited) 10 hours ago, akirby said: Sport Trac only existed because Ranger was too small for a proper crew cab and crew cab F150s were just starting to become popular. With Maverick, Ranger and F150 being all or mostly crew cabs it’s the answer to a question nobody is asking. Agree 100% I wasn’t arguing with your reasoning, simply deducing why Ford never entertained a CD6 Sport Trac Edited August 12 by jpd80 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted August 12 Share Posted August 12 On 8/8/2025 at 7:32 AM, Rick73 said: For reference only, pictures below show how Stellantis plans to use same basic chassis for ICE, BEV and EREV. Knowing some of the details around the new Ford Electric platform and construction process, I think that all three photos above would be doable under Ford’s future plans. All it would take is roll out of new production line methodology to Ford Blue plants. That way Ford would get a much better evolution to lower cost and the flexibility to cover changing customer needs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pffan1990 Posted August 13 Share Posted August 13 5 hours ago, jpd80 said: Knowing some of the details around the new Ford Electric platform and construction process, I think that all three photos above would be doable under Ford’s future plans. All it would take is roll out of new production line methodology to Ford Blue plants. That way Ford would get a much better evolution to lower cost and the flexibility to cover changing customer needs. I wonder if this is what Ford plans on doing with the OAC plant for the next generation Super Duty? They did say that plant would produce multi-energy trucks including the EREV. This new assembly line setup would help reduce costs and complexity of the new Super Duty production. Then trickle down to the Kentucky Truck Plant and Ohio Plant for the rest of Super Duty production. The T3 and next generation E-Transit were likely delayed in order to re-do some designs or production module changes at BOC and Ohio. Once the T3 production starts, the current Lightning at Rouge EV Center can end. That's when the REVC can get quickly re-tooled with this new production method to begin F-150 EREV based on the next generation ICE F-150. So I can see the Chicago Plant - or elsewhere if production moves - get re-tooled for next ICE Explorer and its EREV. Eventually, the ICE plants in North America and elsewhere can switch to this type of production. It's not my intention to throw this thread off topic, but it is related to the Explorer EREV, and possibility to why the ICE Explorer was delayed as is the next ICE F-150. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeluxeStang Posted August 13 Share Posted August 13 6 hours ago, jpd80 said: Knowing some of the details around the new Ford Electric platform and construction process, I think that all three photos above would be doable under Ford’s future plans. All it would take is roll out of new production line methodology to Ford Blue plants. That way Ford would get a much better evolution to lower cost and the flexibility to cover changing customer needs. It sounds like that's the plan, people who attended the event said ford not only plans to import that EV truck and EV platform to other countries around the globe, but tha Ford said there's a chance of them applying that new assembly line design to other factories around the world. I don't want to get too far ahead of myself, or too excited because that might never happen. But a future where Ford tries this new assembly method, and it actually works really well, and is something they can gradually apply to all the vehicles in their lineup, that's really promising. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted August 13 Share Posted August 13 (edited) Pffan1990 and DeluxeStang, I think you’re ideas are examples of how Ford could apply these new ideas across the whole company, I think that’s the real focus of new production line, getting more out of Ford Blue. Edited August 13 by jpd80 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harley Lover Posted August 13 Share Posted August 13 1 hour ago, jpd80 said: I think you’re ideas are examples of how Ford could apply these new ideas across the whole company, I think that’s the real focus of new production line, getting more out of Ford Blue. I'm not a production plant expert, but given the drastic difference in layout (new concept versus existing assembly line layout), wouldn't applying this new concept to an existing plant mean a total floor to ceiling tear out would be required - which is not something any auto manufacturer would take lightly from both a time and cost perspective? If all of this is true, I think expectations for application to Blue plants needs to be considerably tempered - these change might be made when a complete redesign of a product (and resulting reconfiguring of its plant to support the new product) is undertaken, but we all know those types of changes do not occur very often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted August 13 Share Posted August 13 (edited) 52 minutes ago, Harley Lover said: I'm not a production plant expert, but given the drastic difference in layout (new concept versus existing assembly line layout), wouldn't applying this new concept to an existing plant mean a total floor to ceiling tear out would be required - which is not something any auto manufacturer would take lightly from both a time and cost perspective? If all of this is true, I think expectations for application to Blue plants needs to be considerably tempered - these change might be made when a complete redesign of a product (and resulting reconfiguring of its plant to support the new product) is undertaken, but we all know those types of changes do not occur very often. I don’t claim to be an expert on this but a few good conversations with several experienced personnel helps with my understanding the processes. I suspect Ford has that in mind as product cycle changes. Probably way ahead of us all knowing when changes work. Both Oakville and Louisville are to be gutted and refitted with new equipment - Ford does that at major product cycle changes and that will also happen to the F150 plants (last done 2014/2015) Edited August 13 by jpd80 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherminator98 Posted August 13 Author Share Posted August 13 57 minutes ago, jpd80 said: Both Oakville and Louisville are to be gutted and refitted with new equipment - Ford does that at major product cycle changes and that will also happen to the F150 plants (last done 2014/2015) Yep it is par for the course to completely gut the plant inside when new product comes to an assembly plant. Somethings stay in place like the paint booth, but that is often at the end of the line anyways. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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