mackinaw Posted February 2 Share Posted February 2 From today's Autoline Daily. We'll see where this goes. Last month President Trump told the Detroit Economic Club that he would welcome Chinese car plants in the U.S. And now come reports that Ford has been talking to at least two Chinese automakers to form a joint venture to make EVs in the U.S. The Financial Times reports Ford was in talks with Xiaomi and BYD. We think the FT is a pretty reputable source, but Ford and Xiaomi deny they’re in talks while BYD declined to comment. Here’s our Autoline Insight. While nothing may come of this, it would be sensible for Ford to explore possible options with Chinese automakers. We keep looking at that $5 billion, 5-million square foot manufacturing facility that Ford is building, called Blue Oval City. Located in Tennessee, that plant is supposed to make 500,000 electric pickups a year, but right now it looks like it could be a financial disaster. However, with a Chinese partner on board that plant would come closer to its targets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherminator98 Posted February 2 Share Posted February 2 Quote Located in Tennessee, that plant is supposed to make 500,000 electric pickups a year, Where the hell did they get that number from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeluxeStang Posted February 2 Share Posted February 2 18 minutes ago, Sherminator98 said: Where the hell did they get that number from? Their ass? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeluxeStang Posted February 2 Share Posted February 2 While I understand the desire to utilize your resources, I feel like Ford helping Chinese players with becoming established is literally the exact sort of thing Farley was afraid of. I feel like it would make more sense to just build a lot of different top hats using CE1, and if you still want to boost production beyond that, offer to sell this incredible universal EV platform to other legacy brands. Like offering to help let's say Honda build affordable EVs using your platform and plant. That's a smarter play than letting the wolf into the hen house so to speak imo. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherminator98 Posted February 2 Share Posted February 2 3 minutes ago, DeluxeStang said: While I understand the desire to utilize your resources, I feel like Ford helping Chinese players with becoming established is literally the exact sort of thing Farley was afraid of. I feel like it would make more sense to just build a lot of different top hats using CE1, and if you still want to boost production beyond that, offer to sell this incredible universal EV platform to other legacy brands. Like offering to help let's say Honda build affordable EVs using your platform and plant. That's a smarter play than letting the wolf into the hen house so to speak imo. While the Financial Times is a respected publication, at the same time that doesn't make them impeccable with whatever information they may or not publish. I'd give this a couple of weeks to see if there is anything actually happening...but IMO I doubt it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker16 Posted February 2 Share Posted February 2 Ford denies report that it plans to build EVs in the US with China’s Xiaomi Quote Ford and Xiaomi have no plans to build EVs in the US A Financial Times report over the weekend claimed Ford has held discussions with Xiaomi over a potential joint venture to manufacture EVs in the US, citing four people familiar with the matter. Xiaomi denied the claims on Monday, saying the FT report is “completely false,” adding that it “does not sell its products and services in the United States and is not negotiating with any companies to do so.” Ford also denied the report, saying, “This story is completely false. There is no truth to it.” The rumors come after a Wall Street Journal report last month claimed that Ford was in talks with BYD to import batteries for its hybrid vehicles for sale outside the US. According to the FT, however, Ford has held talks with BYD and other Chinese carmakers about partnerships in the US. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeluxeStang Posted February 2 Share Posted February 2 1 hour ago, Biker16 said: Ford denies report that it plans to build EVs in the US with China’s Xiaomi Thank God, that would have been so idiotic for them to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackinaw Posted February 2 Author Share Posted February 2 On the other hand, would you expect Ford to admit that they were considering partnering with the Chinese? I'm of the "where's there's smoke, there's fire" line of thinking. Ford very well may have talked to the Chinese, about something. Who knows what. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oac98 Posted February 2 Share Posted February 2 4 hours ago, Sherminator98 said: Where the hell did they get that number from? It reminds me of the time when Farley wasn’t the CEO and he projected the Flex to sell 100000 units a year and we all know they never even close to achieve those numbers. Way too optimistic projections based on EVs at this time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe771476 Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 (edited) American auto mfrs. which are really just Ford and GM, will be irrelevant in 5 to 10 years. Get ready for it. Edited February 3 by Joe771476 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan20 Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 6 hours ago, Sherminator98 said: Where the hell did they get that number from? Uh, from Ford? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherminator98 Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 1 hour ago, morgan20 said: Uh, from Ford? Interesting, I didn't see that-which is crazy because no other plant Ford can do that or can I think of anything in the past 40 years that made that much product in under a single roof in a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker16 Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 29 minutes ago, Sherminator98 said: Interesting, I didn't see that-which is crazy because no other plant Ford can do that or can I think of anything in the past 40 years that made that much product in under a single roof in a year. I think Saarlouis, and Spain were producing over 400k at their peak. Kansas City, may be close with the F-150 and transit. EVs are a different beast, their assembly process is simpler and inherently more efficient than ICE vehicles. The Tesla plant in Fremont, CA has a capacity of "650,000" compared woth it's previous life as NUMMI, where production peaked at 428,000 in 2005. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan20 Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 35 minutes ago, Biker16 said: EVs are a different beast, their assembly process is simpler and inherently more efficient than ICE vehicles. Yea, exactly. Jimbo touted this shortly after construction started for Blue Oval City: It's a marvel of simplification. The most important thing is to reduce the labor content, we're insourcing with batteries and things like that. The vehicle's [T3] designed in such a way - because it's second-generation - where we radically simplified the subassemblies. It's a really big change, the way this will be built. This will be a seminal moment like the Rouge was, but this is a new industrial revolution about clean, carbon-neutral manufacturing. Another Ford big shot, Lisa Drake (who now leads the newfangled "Ford Energy" business), said this: When you walk in, it will not feel like a plant that you've been in before. Our target was to actually build this truck more efficiently than the best truck we build - and we build trucks pretty well. It's more radical than just fasteners and brackets. We've done some systems engineering work where, essentially, we've taken pieces of the truck and reduced the design content down so it's a much more reductive design with less tooling and less people needed to install. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 Interesting if this pans out…. BYD has another pickup thats bigger than Shark 6 but maybe not Full size like F150 Would be interesting if Ford signed up with BYD, probably the largest battery maker in China with huge vertical integration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-dubz Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 I wouldn’t mind seeing the xiaomi su7 and yu7 with a ford badge. They look better than anything ford is making now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker16 Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 56 minutes ago, T-dubz said: I wouldn’t mind seeing the xiaomi su7 and yu7 with a ford badge. They look better than anything ford is making now. Ford would instantly become the market leader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan20 Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 1 hour ago, T-dubz said: I wouldn’t mind seeing the xiaomi su7 and yu7 with a ford badge. They look better than anything ford is making now. I'll both agree and disagree with you on that my friend. Xiaomi SU7 and YU7 look better than Ford's anonymous unibody blobs, but Ford's icons like Mustang/MME and Bronco have the two Xiaomi vehicles beat in the exterior styling department. SU7: YU7: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schpark Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 17 hours ago, Oac98 said: It reminds me of the time when Farley wasn’t the CEO and he projected the Flex to sell 100000 units a year and we all know they never even close to achieve those numbers. Way too optimistic projections based on EVs at this time. I did my part. My 2013 Flex is the best vehicle I have ever bought. Thanks for the good job building it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twintornados Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 1 hour ago, morgan20 said: SU7: YU7: Just apes the Tesla look.....pass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew L Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 1 hour ago, morgan20 said: I'll both agree and disagree with you on that my friend. Xiaomi SU7 and YU7 look better than Ford's anonymous unibody blobs, but Ford's icons like Mustang/MME and Bronco have the two Xiaomi vehicles beat in the exterior styling department. SU7: YU7: Ehh those look pretty generic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker16 Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 1 hour ago, Schpark said: I did my part. My 2013 Flex is the best vehicle I have ever bought. Thanks for the good job building it. The perfect vehicle to discontinue 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 I just bought and drove the xiaomi su7 on the track. Pretty fast but cornered like a boat. 😂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oac98 Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 21 hours ago, Schpark said: I did my part. My 2013 Flex is the best vehicle I have ever bought. Thanks for the good job building it. Welcome, it was a solid product with love it or hate it styling. I enjoyed driving them, very spacious and the very quiet inside. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twintornados Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 3 minutes ago, Oac98 said: Welcome, it was a solid product with love it or hate it styling. I enjoyed driving them, very spacious and the very quiet inside. The Ford D3 (and D4) chassis was a robust design for sure. Derived from Volvo's P2 chassis, it was a solid bet that sold many examples. Too bad the market changed right out from under them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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