Great post from @patrickgeorge.bsky.social Personally, I think the idea that Ford can or should take on Xiaomi, even metaphorically, is a fool's errand and fundamentally misunderstands the allure and success of that car, but w/e we're here now. insideevs.com/news/749882/... - ThreadSky

gaytonausa.bsky.social • 15 days ago

Great post from @patrickgeorge.bsky.social

Personally, I think the idea that Ford can or should take on Xiaomi, even metaphorically, is a fool's errand and fundamentally misunderstands the allure and success of that car, but w/e we're here now.

https://insideevs.com/news/749882/ford-farley-china-street-fight/

Comments

gaytonausa.bsky.social•15 days ago

Not convinced ford's problems are entirely related to EVs. It cut its model line to only SUVs and trucks, and it acts like it doesn't want to make anything that isn't a Bronco or F-150.

zamafir.bsky.social•15 days ago

Fords problem is their CEO does not want to electrify the brand in an age when the world is rapidly electrified.

Looking at their January numbers in the U.S., and rapid deterioration globally last year, there's not really anything being brought to market to turn it around.

gaytonausa.bsky.social•15 days ago

Ford Europe discontinued all its cars and replaced it with....nothing. It introduced a raised crossover based on an old hatchback that everyone liked, and introduced two ugly EVs based on mediocre VWs that are no smaller than Ford's own efforts yet somehow are pricier.

come ON.

steveprior.bsky.social•15 days ago

Look at the turnaround at Renault. Ford got their product strategy wrong.

electronicfuture.bsky.social•15 days ago

The euro Explorer is interesting compared to the Mach-E

Nailed the design, so-so driving dynamics, Mach-E, other way round

Is it too much to ask for both?

steveprior.bsky.social•15 days ago

The Capri is such a missed opportunity.

Look at this from Renault. It’s the first EV that’s pure desirability. You’d buy it if it was powered by coal.

triangulator.org•15 days ago

I’d love to read a full exploration of what happened to Ford. The whole Jim Hackett detour (pivot to software?), and the competing views of Ford family members is fascinating. Seems they are truly in the wilderness rn…

atonge40.bsky.social•15 days ago

The cancellation of the Focus and Fusion was so dumb and shortsighted.

bluebookvalue.bsky.social•15 days ago

if ford was serious about doing battle with these brands, it would reboot mercury as ev-only with an emphasis on quality of life tech.

zamafir.bsky.social•15 days ago

They're not serious. They didn't bring a single new Ford engineered EV to market after a half decade and $22B spend.

It's time we start talking about them in terms of what they are doing, vs what their press releases aspire to do.

ellenteapot.ca•15 days ago

I think the EV problem and the lineup problem are both symptoms of a deeper platforms problem. Every category they’ve shed was defensible in isolation, but the overall result is clearly unsustainable.

zamafir.bsky.social•15 days ago

I thought their EV problem was announcing a five year, $22,000,000,000 plan to bring a ton of EVs to market only to have Farley bungle it so badly they've brought zero at a time their competitors grew 3x in the U.S. and many more abroad. Their problem is they are developing excuses, not EVs.

ellenteapot.ca•15 days ago

Like, if they can’t put the body of a Taurus or Windstar on a version of the Mach-E or Maverick platforms, they should just pack it up and go home

gaytonausa.bsky.social•15 days ago

right! they’ve spent all this money on the Mach-E’s somewhat bespoke platform and then didn’t do shit else with it!

zamafir.bsky.social•15 days ago

And launched it without standardize drive units, or heat pumps, or other fundamental platform nuances that have kept their competitors competitive and allowed them to run circles around them on sales.

Leadership is just woefully inept and in need of replacement, not a time to be stumbling blindly.

aeromunch.bsky.social•15 days ago

I grew up in a family that loved Fords, I have a classic Mercury and I had a 2016 Focus ST that I loved

Ford then decided that unless I want a Mustang they no longer make vehicles for me

Zero interest in the brand anymore

drlovemm.bsky.social•15 days ago

We need to start looking at it from a different angle. The future is going to be self driving vehicles. They will be safer and cheaper. Some people will own “fun” cars or “personal” cars: the rest will press the button to summon a robotaxi

atheisttexan.bsky.social•15 days ago

Meanwhile Canada is looking into free trade agreements with China. Canada will get access to incredibly good and cheap EV's while Americans will be paying for overpriced junk.

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