Respectfully disagree on much of this sentiment.  Auto manufacturers have learned the hard way not to disclose too much information on upcoming models way in advance because it can adversely affect sales, and it’s not just with cars.  The Osborne Effect is very real and does affect many buyers.  Some may not care but others do.     On this I agree completely. 😀

I meant evolution in terms of not requiring an all new platform as often as previously anticipated; what you said about the timing of refreshes has been part of automotive reality for decades and that’s where incentives come into play.

Agree, but there has to be a balance due to added costs otherwise manufacturers would make minor updates every year.  Tesla claims constant evolution but I don’t count those as significant upgrades.  I don’t know what the right number is for refresh frequency but 3~4 years may not be as needed as previously.  Looking at early Mustangs as example, change was frequent.  First 65-66, then 67-68, followed by 69-70, and finally 71-72-73.  I can’t imagine manufacturers being able to pull that off today given greater competition (not counting Mustang) and higher vehicle costs.  We should probably reset expectations on what is normal. 😀

The vast majority of car buyers have no idea what a refresh, or redesign, or replatform is.  They also have no idea when a new model is coming out.  They don't know that the model they are about to buy is going to get a complete redesign in 3 months and theirs will look outdated.  They just know they want (or need) a new car, they want (or need) it now, and they look at what's on the lot.  Heck, my parents bought a 2010 Mercury Milan in early 2010, shortly after the demise of Mercury was announced.  I made a comment about it being one of the last Mercury vehicles made and they had no idea.  My son has that car now and it just passed 100k last week.   Keep in mind that those of us on this forum and other car forums that are certified car nuts are in the minority. 

I am working on a project using a Lin controlled alternator from a Ford Transit (2020 thru 2025). I am using two alternators on a single engine. I would like any info on the Lin address/identifier for these alternators. Any help or info would be very much appreciated. I know next to nothing about the Lin network, but I do want to be able to set the output voltage of both running alternators. Any help with the structure of the message itself that is sent from the ECU would be great.   Any help would be fantastic   Thanks all   Dave

True, but I also expect some buyers may not like buying a model that’s about to be updated soon because their vehicle will seem more dated even though almost new.  When manufacturers update every 4 years like clockwork as an example, why buy on 4th year knowing your purchase will not look new within a short period?  On the other hand if manufacturers keep designs much longer, and it is known and expected, some buyers may be drawn by a vehicle that appears newer for a longer time.  Also as vehicles last longer and people drive less, owners keep their cars longer, thereby reducing benefits of frequent updates.  I’d bet buyers who keep their new cars like 10 years prefer fewer redesigns, not more.   Just saying there are pros and cons to frequent refreshes, so it’s not all bad when Ford extends a current product.  Mostly I think it’s a way to lower costs which may be more important to buyers than minor updated designs.  In hard financial times, regardless of the cause, it’s not surprising that manufacturers will try to reduce costs in similar manner.  I view a “new look” as a luxury that is no doubt desirable but carries much less weight than fundamentals.  Vehicles have become too expensive and affordability is high on the list.

Length and lack of a hybrid are holding BS back from higher sales volume.  With Escape gone there is no reason not to make a FWD hybrid extended wheelbase version other than maybe factory capacity.

Yep, car companies have this idea that EVs have to look like the future, which ironically leads to designs that get very dated looking very quickly.    I'm of the mindset that EVs give you the design flexibility to make a car look better. Push the wheels out to the corners, a lower front end, a more sculpted and lower hood, a sleeker roofline, etc. So companies should just differentiate EVs by making them better looking cars instead of weird looking cars.    I agree with what Ford says, if you're gonna make affordable EVs, don't make them look like toasters in wheels, make them emotional products.

Wow, I just realised that was 40 years ago

That probably would have sold in larger numbers.😁 Technically, the RAV4 Adventure/Woodlands is a whole unchopped RAV4 with an Otter box. The Bronco Sport was made significantly shorter than the Escape (by over half a foot) to make it more off-road capable or at least look the part. This probably made it feel too small (at least by US standards) for some buyers, anything smaller than the traditional C-segment or compact vehicle is always called too small (even though traditional compacts used to be that small in the 2000s).