Ford says US Lacks Hybrid Skills and Production Capability

Sad, is'nt it. Still, the American auto industry is by now well accustomed to playing catch-up with the Japanese.

 

Sounds like a product development executive at Ford is making excuses for the companies lack of foresight/will in developing higher MPG vehicles.

That whirring sound that you hear is Henry Ford spinning in his grave.

 

Maybe Henry Ford should have thrown up his hands and quit because of the lack of suppliers and expertise in building assembly lines.

 

Henry Ford is angry at them for bothering with hybrids.

Do remember that Henry Ford was the last person to want to build anything besides a Model T, which cost Ford its impressive market share, and didn't even want to offer more than one color. On his personal side, he was a man who didn't like to change much, as evidenced by his inability to realize that cars better than a Model T would be built as well as his vehement anti-semitism.

Of course, he would still be aggrivated by supply problems. :mrgreen:

 

hype

This is "corporate speak" for:

1) We didnt put the money into R&D because we would rather pay our executives 4x's the compensation that Japanese execs receive.
2) Gee, you mean gas is getting more expensive?
3) We would rather build "our" hybrids overseas anyway because the labor in China is only 70cents an hour with no EPA, 401Ks, workmans comp insurance, benefits, etc. etc.
4) Heck, we make $6000 per SUV!
5) Let the Feds pay to get us gas, whats a few dead soldiers anyway?

I havent owned an American Big3 car since 1979, its too bad they just dont get it.

 

You have to understand that Ford executives even lower level ones know little about what it means to own and drive a car other than putting gas in it. They get 2 new cars a year, so they are always driving a low miles car. The get 3,4,5th cars one very good term for their kids. They do not pay for insurance that is covered by Ford even the kids. Service is simple fill out a form leave it on the dash. Park in a special spot and it happens while you work. If it takes longer that your work day there is a loner parked in that spot. There is a huge disconnect between their car experience and ours.

 

i for one am not surprized at all by the article. i have always thought that the foray into hybrid technology by the big 3 was just a bone thrown to the american public to ease dissent until gas prices drop back down to reasonable levels.

i fully expected them to either push it to the back burner or abandon the technology altogether at the earliest opportunity.

as it is, 20,000 cars is hardly a token gesture. hybrids have been here for nearly 5 years. Ford's pathetic offering is an insult to my integrity and it will not buy any brownie points in my book.

this article is Fords sorry excuse and poor demostration of pointing the finger at the other guy to explain their own shortcomings.

they even admit that Toyota is where they are because the took control of their own destiny. which is something that a multi billion $ corporation like Ford could also have done if they were committed to the technology. this simply proves that they are not

 

Although it would be better had it not happened again, isn't it amazing getting to witness history repeating itself?

All my life I've heard stories about how the Japanese automakers caught the American automakers totally off guard, where they denied the new vehicle would ever catch on. Then suddenly, as if overnight, they were the thing to buy. Their popularity skyrocketed, and Detroit found itself scrambling to catch up. But by then, it was too late. The rejection to change had been noticed by everyone.

Believe it or not, the very same thing is occurring as we speak. I had no idea that was possible. Shouldn't we learn from our mistakes? How's that saying go? "Fool me once..."

 

Carpi Diem. Toyota did we will see if Ford watched that one.

 

cmon it must be obvious that ford doesnt buy into the hybrid technology unless its easy and conveinent for them.

look at the size of their product line and they are offering ONE hybrid model. at least GM has almost a half dozen in the works for the next two years.

Look at Lexus... they only have a half dozen different models to begin with. well in two years nearly a third will have a hybrid version.

ok ford... we realize you have supplier problems that you are unwilling to deal with. so how about a hybrid equivalent for a tenth of your model line... or is that too much???

oh of course it is!! what am i thinking. ok how about 5% of your product line?? well if we give you another 5 years could you do it.??

i bet you will when 5 years from now half of all new vehicles will be either hybrids or alternative fuel vehicles. (that prediction is my own.)

 

By my calculations, a third of a half dozen would be: two. So "nearly a third" would be: one.

 

well you are close... lexus will have two hybrids by 2006.

 

It’s interesting, I am a hybrid / EV automotive engineer and I have had direct contact with manufacturers and technology developers that Ford has funded.

One is Future Truck competition that has been on for the last four years. This was a competition paid partially by Ford to have universities develop a Hybrid SUV. I have spoken with the winners of these competitions and they all have developed fantastic WORKING technologies that only require refinement and manufacturing. UC Davis made a hybrid Explorer that got 35 mpg and had a 25 mile EV mode. I saw it, and it works fine.

Now guess what. Once they finished, Ford never asked for the designs, the result or the vehicles. They didn't care. It was all PR. Sad.

I also know a company here in California, ENOVA that manufactures hybrid and EV drives. Their products are commercialized and certified. They provide the whole hybrid system. Except for the propulsion motor, everything is made in the US.

Batteries; OVONICS makes NiMH batteries here in the US. They sued Toyota and Panasonic for patent infringement and for copying their technology. They won big time. Toyota is paying them big.

I could go on and on about how America already has the talent, capabilities and the products to make it happen. The only reason why Ford and the rest are not willing to commit is $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. If it ain’t broke don't fix it. As long as the American public continues to be happy with last century technology and the gas is reasonably priced, they will not change.

The only way Detroit will change is if they have a gun put to their heads. That gun is Oil price and supply shortage. They know they are behind. They are just procrastinating.

NiMHPrius

 

The big 3,unfortunately have been "in Bed" with big oil for generations....i remember when a 50mpg carb came out in the 70s, it was bought out by big oil..Japan, on the other hand would not be influenced by US Big Oil and developed the hybrid system...I have always been a Ford buyer for years, but i just got my Prius,due to superior quality, and its advanced technology ,and besides, im tired of bending over at the gas pump...so until such a time that the domestic big 3 get their act together and support the hybrid technology, which they are only doing now as a token attempt, their sales will continue to slip...by the time Ford or GM, or Chrysler get to the point of the hybrid technology of the 2004 Prius, Toyota will be still 10yrs ahead of the game...

 

Sadly enough, I think you are right. The Big 3's reluctance/inability to see the issue for what it is, reminds me of the Titanic tragedy in which the White Star Line didn't want to "clutter the promenade decks with lifeboats", nor spend the money to provide the many more lifeboats the Titanic's huge passenger capacity required. They also felt that hanging all those lifeboats out there would "imply less than utter confidence in the shipbuilding and handling skills of the White Star Line." We never learn.