nativewolf
Active Member
@Knightshade expressed it best in a long post this morning, pages back. Probably all the legacy auto makers are screwed. Probably. However, it is interesting to see Ford of all of them moving faster. KS correctly pointed out that Ford themselves had not built battery factories but they have gigafactory sort of relationships with SK to build 2 and I think are on the verge of launching more. The SK factory in SC is well underway I think. However, the Mach-e is getting the press and attention that VW hoped for the id4 (which is a dog). I'm not sure that anyone would have predicted that, it is getting press and attention that the Bolt never had, they had a waiting list even.Ford doesn't deserve kudos when all they are doing is fighting for their survival. They are selling as many gas vehicles as they possibly can while scrambling to learn how to make EV's without selling so many they go bankrupt. They are not sure how this all plays out but they are taking the only path that might preserve them as a going concern into the 2030's. They would not be in this predicament were it not for Tesla so the kudos go to those innovating and forcing the change, Tesla. Ford is just hanging on for dear life.
Don't get me wrong, Tesla is the only reason any legacy company is doing anything. I can't say why but I know that Ford was look strongly at EVs in 2007. By 2008 they had to mortgage everything to stay afloat and then the Bush admin torched them by bailing out GM. IF GM had stayed bankrupt Ford would have soared post 2009. As it was GM had a relative cake walk.
At this point you could not ask much more from the CEO and leadership team of Ford. Also, yes they will continue to sell lots of ICEs. No one, not even Tesla, has enough batteries to build appreciable numbers of cars this year. Next year will be even worse, I think. Huge demand for EVs and battery plants will be so constrained. Refined products are going to be tight as well- next year could see all manner of battery challenges. So, ICE sales will still be high next year. 2024-5...will be interesting. I think Tesla could be heading for a huge percent of total sales in the EU and NA markets by 2025. Then you will see GM and chrysler really fighting for dear life. I expect the electric f150 and the huge stake in Rivian to save Ford.
They might not make it. I don't see products on GM's product list that are compelling in 2023 and I think 2022/ 2023 is the earliest they can really launch in any scale. GM's association with lordstown and nikola reeks of poor management and governance. Ford did due diligence and invested in Rivian, GM picked Nikola and lordstown- both reeked of fraud and lack of substance. Reeked.
So yeah- I think you could give Ford some credit at this point. They backed Rivian, they got a partner to build them 2 battery factories, they launched a car that is getting amazing publicity, and they got Biden to promote the F150 and have a huge waiting list for it. Objectively, the best of the legacy auto makers. Are they still a legacy firm, yes. Is the car built around a computer, no. Long way to go, yes. Will they make it?