Ford CEO - Americans need to “get back in love” with small cars

[whynot]

Not sure if this belongs here or in the EV thread.

An article in CNBC quotes Farley.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/28/ford...-a-profit.html

Similar article in The Drive

https://www.thedrive.com/news/ford-c...ord-gave-up-on

He also said Americans need to “get back in love” with small cars instead of larger ones, a surprising statement given a majority or Ford’s profits come from trucks and considering American carmakers have historically had trouble making money on small models.

“We have to start to get back in love with smaller vehicles. It’s super important for our society and for EV adoption,” Farley said Friday. “We are just in love with these monster vehicles, and I love them too, but it’s a major issue with weight.”

Ford Motor
expects to introduce a $30,000 all-electric vehicle that will be profitable in roughly two and a half years, CEO Jim Farley said Friday during the Aspen Ideas Festival.

Farley did not release many other details about the vehicle, which is being developed by a Ford “skunkworks” team, but said its main competitors are expected to be Chinese automakers such as BYD
and an anticipated entry-level car from U.S. EV leader Tesla
.

Farley said Ford is first focusing on smaller EVs instead of larger all-electric trucks and SUVs, which have historically been gas-powered profit engines for the company, because such vehicles are “never going to make money.”

“You have to make a radical change as an [automaker] to get to a profitable EV. The first thing we have to do is really put all of our capital toward smaller, more affordable EVs,” Farley said during an interview with CNBC’s Julia Boorstin. “That’s the duty cycle that we’ve now found that really matches. These big, huge, enormous EVs, they’re never going to make money. The battery is $50,000. … The batteries will never be affordable.”

A Ford spokesman later clarified Farley was referring to large vehicles such as the company’s Super Duty models or vehicles that require massive battery packs to achieve significant EV ranges of 500 miles. He was not referring to ones such as Ford’s current all-electric F-150 Lightning pickup or next-generation EVs.

Ford earlier this year said it was postponing production of a large three-row SUV at a plant in Canada to 2027 from its initial plan of 2025. It also postponed a next-generation pickup, codenamed “T3,” from late 2025 to 2026.

Farley on Friday reiterated Ford’s next-generation vehicles would be profitable.

[Franco Cozzo]

After turning their back on us small car enthusiasts, they want us to come crawling back after they sold us all down the river.

Maybe they realised they handed the market to the South Koreans and Chinese

[Citroënbender]

How many Americans will simply not fit in those small cars, though?

[Polyal]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

How many Americans will simply not fit in those small cars, though?

Id like to think that gets overplayed a bit.

Pretty unreal as per Franco's comments.

[kevino]

Originally Posted by Polyal

Id like to think that gets overplayed a bit.

Pretty unreal as per Franco's comments.

Didnt a stat come out this week that two thirds of Australian are obese.
This country is a big car country too

[Dr Smith]

Originally Posted by kevino

Didnt a stat come out this week that two thirds of Australian are obese.
This country is a big car country too

It depends on who commissioned the "report". I'm commissioning a new study to see if engines with 8 or more cylinders have a positive effect on people's wellbeing as we all know the sound of a well tuned 8 is just vitamins for the ears...

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

How many Americans will simply not fit in those small cars, though?

I'm a fat bastard and I fit in the Fiesta ST

Don't even need to wear a seatbelt, I'm an interference fit in the Recaro seats

Just need a crowbar to get myself out

Originally Posted by Ratmick

That was my first thought, that was a bit two-faced given the dearth of options on offer.

I've had a Focus and a Fiesta ST, both great cars...

Would have happily bought a new Focus to replace my ST when it proved to be not that practical/comfortable for my partner...but they stopped selling them.

...so I bought a Hyundai i30 NLine 6sp manual.

...would have preferred a Focus.

Looking back I should have kept the ST, I loved that car...

Same as my old man, replaced his Fiesta ST with a Hyundai i30N sedan, he too would have preferred the Focus ST.

Went into Essendon Ford and we got laughed out of there asking for a new, white manual Focus ST.

I've got his old Fiesta ST - 232,000KM on the clock now but it's tired, and I'm sure it's got the dreaded Ecoboost coolant issue with the block, but meh I'll limp it along until viking funeral time

Condolences on the missus, very sad news.

[Ratmick]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

I'm a fat bastard and I fit in the Fiesta ST

Don't even need to wear a seatbelt, I'm an interference fit in the Recaro seats

Just need a crowbar to get myself out

Same as my old man, replaced his Fiesta ST with a Hyundai i30N sedan, he too would have preferred the Focus ST.

Went into Essendon Ford and we got laughed out of there asking for a new, white manual Focus ST.

I've got his old Fiesta ST - 232,000KM on the clock now but it's tired, and I'm sure it's got the dreaded Ecoboost coolant issue with the block, but meh I'll limp it along until viking funeral time

Condolences on the missus, very sad news.

Thanks mate

I met someone new a year after she passed. My new partner is a petite Vietnamese lady and she would have fit really well in those Recaro seats

...I did have the same issue though, the seat had teeth on a long trip and used to squeeze my thighs together.

Now I'm getting old my next car will be an auto...

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Ratmick

Thanks mate

I met someone new a year after she passed. My new partner is a petite Vietnamese lady and she would have fit really well in those Recaro seats

...I did have the same issue though, the seat had teeth on a long trip and used to squeeze my thighs together.

Now I'm getting old my next car will be an auto...

I used it on a 4000km solo road trip over 12 days across VIC/NSW/QLD and ACT, I don't find it too bad over long hours in the seat, it's also my work vehicle these days and it carries me and my tools across Melbourne anywhere from Wallan to Warburton and next week I'm working on the VIC/NSW border taking trusty Fiesta ST.

The new car market is a sad state of affairs, they reckon we have so much choice, but so much choice means an SUV or a Thailand Special.

200kw
Manual
Under $60,000

There's basically two new cars available - Hyundai i30N and Subaru WRX.

Used to have the Focus ST in that bracket, and Ford Europe's hot hatches were the best of the lot BY FAR.

Then Ford decided to turn it's back on everything except SUVs and utes.

Even entry level hot hatch Fiesta ST, again best on the market, they handed it to Suzuki with their lukewarm Swift 'Sport'.

Dunno why Ford decided to only compete in oversaturated market segments when they did well in the niche market stuff and had the best products.

[five 7]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

How many Americans will simply not fit in those small cars, though?

You've clearly not been on a Aussie based cruise ship CB. , and witnessed the run from the mobility scooter to the buffet.

[Citroënbender]

That’s true. I still haven’t followed the advice of yourself (and two others) of going on a cruise.

[five 7]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

That’s true. I still haven’t followed the advice of yourself (and two others) of going on a cruise.

To be honest they are not for everyone, best thing P&O Au did was commit suicide that product had got expensive and stale. Think a lot of the lines were badly stung by covid cheers..

[Ratmick]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

After turning their back on us small car enthusiasts, they want us to come crawling back after they sold us all down the river.

Maybe they realised they handed the market to the South Koreans and Chinese

That was my first thought, that was a bit two-faced given the dearth of options on offer.

I've had a Focus and a Fiesta ST, both great cars...

Would have happily bought a new Focus to replace my ST when it proved to be not that practical/comfortable for my partner...but they stopped selling them.

...so I bought a Hyundai i30 NLine 6sp manual.

...would have preferred a Focus.

Looking back I should have kept the ST, I loved that car...

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by Ratmick

That was my first thought, that was a bit two-faced given the dearth of options on offer.

I've had a Focus and a Fiesta ST, both great cars...

Would have happily bought a new Focus to replace my ST when it proved to be not that practical/comfortable for my partner...but they stopped selling them.

...so I bought a Hyundai i30 NLine 6sp manual.

...would have preferred a Focus.

Looking back I should have kept the ST, I loved that car...

Same deal here, had an XR5T and a Focus ST. Amazing cars.

Focus and Fiesta ST were taken away in Freedom land sooner than they were here.
Euro Fords were/are the best handling bar none.
Hyundai and VW pretty much have the hot hatch segment to themselves. I see I30N's everywhere and rightly so they are a decent hot hatch but theres nothing really to compete against them
They (Ford) have no one to blame but themselves.

[kevino]

Sell the beep beep Hyundai and get a 2nd hand 22 ST

I take it your Hyu beeps a lot?

[Ratmick]

Originally Posted by kevino

Sell the beep beep Hyundai and get a 2nd hand 22 ST

I take it your Hyu beeps a lot?

It's a nice enough car, 1.6 litre turbo I4, doesn't...beep much (not sure what you're referring to there).

My then-missus didn't like the Fiesta, she had late-stage cancer and her bones used to ache. The ST used to throw her around a bit so she stopped wanting to getting into it. The last straw was when she was in the back seat and somehow wedged herself in-between the front seat back and the back seat when trying to get out and didn't have enough strength to extricate herself...so I had to physically pull her up and out. It was funny at the time but not good for me, more really sad.

She found the i30 a lot more comfortable, so all good. She passed away at the end of 2022, so didn't get that much use out of the car (her last trip into hospital was in it).

[kevino]

Originally Posted by Ratmick

It's a nice enough car, 1.6 litre turbo I4, doesn't...beep much (not sure what you're referring to there).

My then-missus didn't like the Fiesta, she had late-stage cancer and her bones used to ache. The ST used to throw her around a bit so she stopped wanting to getting into it. The last straw was when she was in the back seat and somehow wedged herself in-between the front seat back and the back seat when trying to get out and didn't have enough strength to extricate herself...so I had to physically pull her up and out. It was funny at the time but not good for me, more really sad.

She found the i30 a lot more comfortable, so all good. She passed away at the end of 2022, so didn't get that much use out of the car (her last trip into hospital was in it).

Ok
Sorry to hear that for you

[jpd80]

God they blow hot and cold

[kevino]

Think Ford Europe have laid off most of their engineering staff now their plan of stopping Fiesta and Focus has seen their market share in Europe fall to 3.4 per cent.
The Puma is the last one with the old Ford Europe dna but of course Ford Ute Aus deleted it from their line up.

[simon varley]

Originally Posted by kevino

The Puma is the last one with the old Ford Europe dna but of course Ford Ute Aus deleted it from their line up.

to be fair - they only make it in Eu6, and our fuel is too crap to run that here so we only get the EV. Not really Ford Aus' fault (this time)

[kevino]

Originally Posted by simon varley

to be fair - they only make it in Eu6, and our fuel is too crap to run that here so we only get the EV. Not really Ford Aus' fault (this time)

Originally Posted by CyberWasp

Ford CEO has also announced a new Flip Flop Range to go with all the Flipping and Flopping they have been doing in the past 5 years.

Is that the reason Simon?
I didn’t know that.
So new revised Puma is EU6 and won’t run on our fuel?
Big problem for Ford Au could have done with mhev Pumas to bring the average fuel use and emission average down.


How much will PHEV Ranger help Ford Au with NVES?

[CyberWasp]

Ford CEO has also announced a new Flip Flop Range to go with all the Flipping and Flopping they have been doing in the past 5 years.

[Sprintey]

I guess he wants to 'educate' Americans to small cars just like some GM boffin tried to 'educate' Holden buyers into fwd

doesn't work.

[simon varley]

Dear Mr Farley - it's your ****en job, to make the punters like and buy the cars you make. Stop victim blaming!

you canned Fiesta/Focus/Mondeo/Taurus because they weren't 'profitable'. Stop complaining.

[Falcon SXR8]

Was reading some comments on facebook on this and most of them were people still ticked off over the auto issues ford had. They really shot themselves in the foot with that.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Falcon SXR8

Was reading some comments on facebook on this and most of them were people still ticked off over the auto issues ford had. They really shot themselves in the foot with that.

But they all do that

I question the people who think it's a good idea to have a $20,000 gearbox that can change gears in .00000000000001 seconds in a cheap car that has 100KW, that's most likely going to spend its time going between traffic lights at 50km/h with an average journey length of 7km.

Torque converter auto works pretty good in that use case for those who can't change their own gears. In fact torque converter auto is pretty much peak gearbox, reliable, works well, nice driving manners, cheap and proven.

Given the imminent economic doom we're about to hit, I wonder if there's going to be a market for cheap basic new cars. Or we're just going to double down and we'll have $150,000 Ford Ranger and everyone else on foot

[CyberWasp]

Here is a little 2 Seater Wide Body Micro Car Concept to Hoon around the City in.
Small Cars could be made fun.

[simon varley]

Originally Posted by CyberWasp

Small Cars could be made fun.

once upon a time, small cars certainly were fun. In their wisdom, Ford decided we didn't need hot hatches any more

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by simon varley

once upon a time, small cars certainly were fun. In their wisdom, Ford decided we didn't need hot hatches any more

Yes, as if it’s our fault they went away….

Seriously, one C2 plant in Thailand serving the Asia Pacific Africa region would make a huge difference
It could build multiple C2 models down the one line, Maverick, an SUV, even a Focus…

[CyberWasp]

Originally Posted by jpd80

It could build multiple C2 models down the one line, Maverick, an SUV, even a Focus…

Add to that a Baby Bronco to compete against the Suzuki Jimny which has a niche / market to itself.

Solid Axel Front End, EcoBoost Motor with a bit more power than a Jimny, build a ton of customisable options and you have a winner. It would only need a 5 Speed Auto / 6 Speed Manual to also smash the Jimny, which is hardly hi-tech.

Keep it Simple Stupid. KISS Principle

Like seriously are they brain dead? they have so much opportunity staring them in the face. People would love them.