Submitted by EW234 t3_11zj7dz in technology
Badfickle t1_jdcnit6 wrote
This is where they should have been 5-10 years ago. Let's hope they can catch up before its too late.
dont-YOLO-ragequit t1_jdetv4p wrote
This is exactly where they wanted to be.
10 years ago, Ford would have had to make a very different looking vehicle with unimpressive fuel range, and a push to have an infrastructure for electric charging.
Tesla managed to do all this and party tricks and Cellphone back and forth at the expense of build quality.
Now Ford and others manufacturers have most of the political backing and infrastructure to make better built car with price per volume and better manufacturing techniques inside a conventional looking vehicle.
The big manufacturers didn't want to fail such a niche plan, meanwhile, a Startup like Tesla had everychance of succeding or failing. And it succeeded.
Badfickle t1_jdf0eys wrote
>This is exactly where they wanted to be.
And that is why they are failing.
The Tesla build quality has improved considerably in the last few years. The Model 3 is now one of the most reliable EVs you can buy. The model Y has also improved greatly.
Where the other manufacturers are aspiring to in 3-5 years is where Tesla was 5 years ago. Toyota recently did a teardown of a model y and came to the conclusion that Tesla had superior manufacturing and that Toyota needs to completely rethink its process if wants to keep up.
https://www.autonews.com/manufacturing/how-toyotas-new-ceo-koji-sato-plans-get-real-about-evs
If legacy doesn't get its act together and fast a bunch are going out of business.
dont-YOLO-ragequit t1_jdfj2kr wrote
>Ford Blue, the unit that sells internal combustion and gas-electric hybrid vehicles, made just over $10 billion before taxes during the last two years. Ford Pro, the commercial vehicle unit, made $5.9 billion during those years, the company said.
They litterally said they resplit their companies from regions to products to show how their bread an butter(the one with 20+ models is stil profitable while the one that is developing (the one with 3 models with a ton of R&D) is the one with debt. They still make 16bn on ICE cars and trucks while losing 3bn on models not even 2 years old.
If I'm reading between the lines, the division with all the growth is losing money as all the R&D is overhead cost and the sales are starting to return revenue.
Ford gets to tell their investors that they are making good money by putting all the rightful debt spendings on EVs while their earnings numbers are untouched.
Even in the report it says they expect EVs to drag on a short to mid term basis.
isayporschewrong t1_jdn0vtu wrote
> If legacy doesn't get its act together and fast a bunch are going out of business.
How exactly are they going to go out of business? Do you not understand how auto manufacturers make profit?
Badfickle t1_jdn9d6m wrote
It is remarkably simple. Sales of your profitable ICE cars implode while you are still unable to mass produce EVs for a profit. Something which only Telsa and BYD have managed so far.
Not everyone is going to successfully make the transition. There will be bankruptcies, government bailouts and or mergers along the way.
isayporschewrong t1_jdnalnt wrote
I guess what I'm struggling with here is the "sales of your profitable ICE cars implode"... I might be missing some legislation that's been passed recently, but why is this going to happen?
Badfickle t1_jdnv0dr wrote
As EV prices continue to come down it will no longer make economic sense for consumers to purchase ICE vehicles.
HotHamwMustard t1_jdcx0qj wrote
I don’t care if they fail personally. Ford is an awful company.
Badfickle t1_jdd1du2 wrote
Understandable. I just feel the more competition in the EV space the better.
Western-Image7125 t1_jdd28jy wrote
If not Ford I hope there’s plenty more. I just hate Tesla as a company
[deleted] t1_jdddh9m wrote
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Western-Image7125 t1_jdde095 wrote
Ok yeah sure I don’t know much about the topic cuz I don’t have an EV but wanna get one someday. It’s just what I hear from people. What brands do you recommend?
[deleted] t1_jddf8vt wrote
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c0mad0r t1_jddohvu wrote
> I really love the EV6 for the price though, it's the value pick.
I sincerely love my 2022 EV6 Wind that I got last June. It's intuitive, easy to use, gets a solid 270+ miles of city driving per charge, drives like a car or an EV depending on the setting and can outrun any rice burner or lamborghini when needed (I live in SoCal and have done this to a Tesla Model S, Subaru WRX, my neighbors' Lotus and a maserati granturismo).
My only issues with it thus far are:
- Small rear view window makes it hard to see behind you at times
- The toggle button between environment controls and media controls is annoying, but voice commands help
- The steering wheel buttons like "Mode" or "star" programmable buttons don't always stay and reset to factory defaults
- The HUD doesn't have programmability
- It's impossible to disable the warning system that beeps when there's a car in your blindspot or you're changing lanes without using your blinker
Superficial stuff mostly. I've taken my vehicle in once to the dealership so far... to get a nitrogen refill on the tires. That's it.
Badfickle t1_jde5945 wrote
I actually went to go buy an EV6 last summer. The test drive was great and I was ready. Then the stealer wanted $11k over msrp. NOPE.
The stealership was even even trying to sell a low mileage used EV6 for $11k over MSRP of new and pretended that they didn't know a used car didn't qualify for the $7500 tax credit.
[deleted] t1_jdeuwg3 wrote
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[deleted] t1_jddyxwi wrote
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Badfickle t1_jde4qze wrote
Who in your mind has caught up to Tesla in pure EV?
[deleted] t1_jddmb2e wrote
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HotHamwMustard t1_jdd2qoq wrote
I feel ya. I do like EV’s myself.
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