Ford slams Toyota on hybrids

What sour grapes! :cussing:

Ford is obviously trying to rectify in the press what its :guns: planning people failed to do, i.e., make an accurate prediction of their needs to the suppliers in Japan.

Unlike American suppliers, the companies in Japan run close to their production limits and the same is true as you go deeper into the Japan supply chain. This allows them to maximize their return on investment. Likewise, once you place an order for "x" number of units you are expected to take delivery of them and not cancel half the order because sales aren't developing the way you thought they would.

I worked for the American arm of a Japanese company and we had to predict our unit requirements for the following year (revised every 6 months) and place orders 6 months in advance of the x-factory dates.
"You order 'em, you buy 'em."

Obviously Ford has been setting on their hands just hoping the Hybrid "Fad" would dry up and blow away. Too bad boys.

 

oh my, i cannot believe that ford is complaining!~!

they are crying because they came to the table late and Toyota wont give up their seat???

i think ford is a much better company than GM but this is really not a good thing for them. i find it hard to believe that ford is really thinking this.

a very key note in the article is that Toyota now relies on no one to build their trannys since the 3rd gen trannys in the current Priuses they developed and built in house.

so all i have to say is quit crying ford.

 

Note TFA said third-generation hybrid transmission. Proper media acknowledgement the Prius is using 3rd gen technology; Detroit one even.

 

I think it's worse than that. Ford, GM, and I think one US car company were part of a US government grant with $1 billion to develop a hybrid or next generation vehicle. Toyota was not allowed to participate, I think b/c they were a Japanese company. So Toyota goes off and does their own thing with no government grant and comes out on top. I'm not sure how that works into your analogy complete, but it's more like Toyota wasn't allowed to sit at the PNGV table and went off and built their own table from scratch. Ford is complaining they can't sit at Toyota's table when there just aren't enough seats.

Ah, here's a few details.
[hr:6b205a12c6]1993

The Partnership for the Next Generation of Vehicles (PNGV) was founded. It was a 10-year project setup in America by the Clinton administration to help fund research into developing family-sized vehicles that could deliver 80 MPG efficiency. All the American automotive companies were invited to participate, using the money the government provided. Toyota was denied the opportunity to join because they were a Japanese automotive company. Toyota, very upset by not being included, secretly began a project of its own.[hr:6b205a12c6]

I really agree with this line: ""If Ford is serious about a hybrid future, it has to design its own transmission or find its own transmission supplier," said Brooke."

I think this line is a typo, but maybe someone else can parse it better... "All but 5,100 were Japanese brands."

 

Whoa, I am getting this right? Aisin is not selling any trannys to Toyota (b/c Toyota makes their own) and Ford is saying that Toyota is making Aisin not give Ford enough transmissions.


I don't know, this sounds like a pretty strong accusation against Toyota. Shouldn't Toyota come out with a stronger response denying the claim or calling it slander/libel (was it written or said?)

If only Ford had invested lots of money to develop their own! Oh wait, that's right, thanks to ryogajyc, we know there were GIVEN lots of money to develop their own! Ford idiots! ukeleft:

 

The article did not sound so much like Ford was slaming Toyota as it was describing the situation and how they planned to fix it. Basically, that Aisin company has a near monopoly on the needed parts. So Ford needs to find or create another manufacturer.

They may say that Aisin is not being influence by Toyota but that would be in an ideal world. They are going to be loyal to Toyota, even subconciously it will affect their decisions.

I own a Prius and marvel at the technology. I am disappointed that Ford or GM was not able to come up with better since they had a US govt grant. I also do not think Toyota should be given the grant. The Japanese govt can give their companies money.

 

I stand corrected. Still, the physical impossibility of "24,000 transmissions annually" to meet even Ford's demands (tripling...) means there is a breaking point. Certainly Ford should have known this when it signed the MOA with its suppliers?

 

Now, does this mean that Ford (and Honda) pay Aisin a license fee for every transmission that is built outside of Aisin?