New Ford EVs announced today

[jmueller065]

What?? Yes: https://spareelectrons.wordpress.com/2017/01/03/new-ford-evs/

Yeah my post is thin there. Ford's announcement only came during an 11am Eastern press conference so news is only just being announced about it.

 

[jmueller065]

Update: Here is an article (with embedded video so you can watch it yourself) about the press conference:

http://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/ford/2017/01/03/ford-invests-700m-mich-cancels-plan-mexico-plant/96102276/

My guess is that the SUV will be that smaller one from overseas (not the Escape). This guy, the "EcoSport":
https://www.ford.com/suvs/ecosport/

 

[triangles]

Interesting... Ford EV production is moving from Wayne, Mi to Flatrock, Mi... I wonder if the FFE replacement will be made there too. Focus production is still going to Mexico just not in a new plant. The Ecosport makes sense with the survey questions I recently answered. I assume Ford commissioned the survey. Although from the survey questions I though they were asking about a more midsize vehicle not a compact. I don't get why Ford thinks it's a SUV though. It's just another hatch back. Looks more like an evolution of the Cmax or maybe a cross between a Cmax and Fiesta? Anyway, the more EVs the merrier.

 

[jmueller065]

I don't get why Ford thinks it's a SUV though. It's just another hatch back. Looks more like an evolution of the Cmax or maybe a cross between a Cmax and Fiesta?

The EcoSport is an SUV derived from the Fiesta (much like the Escape is an SUV derived from the Focus).

They are calling it an SUV because it competes with the other "mini" SUVs (like the Buick Encore).

 

[jmueller065]

Another article specific to the EVs:
http://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/ford/2017/01/03/here-details-fords-electric-vehicle-plan/96109758/?hootPostID=8baf17aadccc1ed5f9401fd918d469ad

Well ok there really isn't much more info in that article than the one I posted above...

 

[EVA]

Wow great posts Jmueller. That's pretty darn cool news.

So Ford is side stepping the sedan world and focusing on SUV's for all electric. I'd say a really smart move with the Bolt and Model 3 mostly cornering that market. Nobody really has an SUV coming down the pipe (unless you call the Jaguar an SUV) - actually an affordable SUV.

Good for Ford.

 

[EVA]

Interesting... Ford EV production is moving from Wayne, Mi to Flatrock, Mi... I wonder if the FFE replacement will be made there too. Focus production is still going to Mexico just not in a new plant. The Ecosport makes sense with the survey questions I recently answered. I assume Ford commissioned the survey. Although from the survey questions I though they were asking about a more midsize vehicle not a compact. I don't get why Ford thinks it's a SUV though. It's just another hatch back. Looks more like an evolution of the Cmax or maybe a cross between a Cmax and Fiesta? Anyway, the more EVs the merrier.

Couple of things - notice there was no mention of a Focus in the press release or speech. That's probably because there won't be an FFE replacement. Ford will probably continue to make the FFE in the 2017 version for a few more years. They should sell a few of the new model before retiring it. Honestly, Ford has probably gotten everything they can out of the Focus platform, and needs a clean sheet of paper for a compact sedan, if they are ever going to do that.

One other thing - that survey you filled out wasn't necessarily commissioned by Ford. I'm thinking you are talking about the Morpace survey a few weeks ago. They never said who asked to have the survey done. In fact I'm pretty certain it isn't Ford on the requesting side. They did an in person survey with a huge variety of owners in Anaheim a few months ago. From what I heard, there were Tesla, RAV4 electric, FFE, Leaf, and a world of regular ICE car owners there.

They are following up that in person interview with on line surveys. And we all ended up in some marketing bin where our email addresses and ownership was shared. Not unlike all those stupid offers I got from extended warranty companies for my cars. So don't extrapolate that survey to what Ford might be doing in the future - they aren't necessarily connected.

 

[campfamily]

One other thing - that survey you filled out wasn't necessarily commissioned by Ford. I'm thinking you are talking about the Morpace survey a few weeks ago. They never said who asked to have the survey done. In fact I'm pretty certain it isn't Ford on the requesting side. They did an in person survey with a huge variety of owners in Anaheim a few months ago. From what I heard, there were Tesla, RAV4 electric, FFE, Leaf, and a world of regular ICE car owners there.

They are following up that in person interview with on line surveys. And we all ended up in some marketing bin where our email addresses and ownership was shared. Not unlike all those stupid offers I got from extended warranty companies for my cars. So don't extrapolate that survey to what Ford might be doing in the future - they aren't necessarily connected.

I was on the same survey panel....I believe it was Hyundai that commissioned the survey, for their new EV that's about to come out.

 

[jmueller065]

Couple of things - notice there was no mention of a Focus in the press release or speech. That's probably because there won't be an FFE replacement. Ford will probably continue to make the FFE in the 2017 version for a few more years. They should sell a few of the new model before retiring it. Honestly, Ford has probably gotten everything they can out of the Focus platform, and needs a clean sheet of paper for a compact sedan, if they are ever going to do that.

The Focus is going to get a complete re-do when production moves to Mexico so the FFE will, most likely, only last as long as its built at MAP.

They also probably didn't mention the Focus because of the move to Mexico as our president elect is fond of pointing such things out and chastising companies for such things (as evidence previous dings at Ford and today's ding at GM about the Cruize hatchback).

 

[Robert123]

The peso has lost 17% in value this year and is most assuredly going to continue to fall because the Mexican economy was falsely inflated by the 100+ billion dollars moving in from "undocumented workers" here in the US. With this coming to a halt, why the heck would Ford build a plant that who knows what the value would be in a few years. Previously, the CEO of Ford said he supported the "North American economy". Now he is talking up the "American economy". Wonder what's changed his mind? :lol:

 

[jmueller065]

Wonder what's changed his mind?

No wondering necessary: He said as much, at least during interviews following the press conference:

Ford CEO Mark Fields said the decision to cancel the plant in Mexico was based in part on changing market conditions with sales of small cars declining as well as the pro-business climate the automaker expects under President-elect Donald Trump.