Tag: Ford

Electric Ford F-Series, Lincoln crossover, Tesla charger, Chinese minivan: Today’s Car News

2018 Ford F-150
Ford plans to build an all-electric F-series truck. Lincoln's making electric “elegant.” Tesla has released a new portable Level 2 home charger. And Chinese automaker GAC showed a U.S.-designed concept at the Detroit auto show. All this and more on Green Car Reports.

At a meeting with investors following the Detroit auto show Ford Global Vice President for Marketing and Sales Jim Farley said, “We're going to electrify the F-Series,” specifying, “battery electric and hybrid,” in a presentation to investors.

The company's Lincoln luxury division, meanwhile, announced that it plans to build its own more “elegant” version of Ford's upcoming high-performance 300-mile electric SUV—the one Ford says it may no longer call the Mach 1 in deference to classic Mustang enthusiasts. If Lincoln is already working on its luxury version, it would arrive as soon as a year after the Ford.

Tesla released a new portable home wall charger that's half as fast as its hard-wired chargers but can easily be unplugged from the wall to bring along on trips or move to a new location.

At the Detroit auto show, Chinese automaker GAC showed an electric minivan that could be the first car it imports to the U.S. in 2020. The company is already working on setting up its own dealer network.

Fans of the Toyota Highlander Hybrid may be interested to see spy shots of the redesigned Highlander expected to go on sale later this year as a 2020 model.

Finally, several automakers are rolling out payment relief programs for federal works who are furloughed or working without pay.

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Carbon and Ford debut 3D printed end-use parts at NAIAS

Today, Carbon, the Silicon Valley-based company behind Digital Light Synthesis (DLS) 3D printing technology, has debuted the first 3D printed parts in production for Ford, at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. Together, the companies are displaying Ford Focus HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Cooling) Lever Arm Service Parts, Ford F-150 Raptor Auxiliary… Continue reading Carbon and Ford debut 3D printed end-use parts at NAIAS

F Series: Ford builds electric pickup

ford has announced plans to electrify US-popular F-Series pickups. What the vehicle will cost, is not fixed yet. Actually planned Ford for the F-series only a hybrid drive. January 17, 2019, 7:36 am, Andreas Donath F150 (Image: Ford) Ford wants to bring a fully electric version of its most important vehicle series on the market:… Continue reading F Series: Ford builds electric pickup

M City: Concept for safety assessment

The University of Michigan test city, M City, has unveiled a concept for evaluating the safety of highly automated cars. The M City, a façade city that recently celebrated its fifth anniversary, has presented a new test concept. It’s about testing highly autonomous vehicles with respect to theirs vehicle safety, Ford in the M-City The… Continue reading M City: Concept for safety assessment

French Government Calls for Carlos Ghosn to Be Replaced as Renault’s Leader – The New York Times

PARIS — For nearly three months, as its chairman and chief executive, Carlos Ghosn, remained jailed in Tokyo on allegations of financial misconduct, the French carmaker Renault stood by him. But with Mr. Ghosn now facing the prospect of being detained for an extended period after a Tokyo court on Tuesday rejected his bail request,… Continue reading French Government Calls for Carlos Ghosn to Be Replaced as Renault’s Leader – The New York Times

Ford planning battery-electric F-150

Ford planning battery-electric F-150Detroit — Ford Motor Co. plans to launch full battery-electric F-150 and Super Duty pickups, company officials told investment analysts here Wednesday.
The Dearborn automaker has planned to manufacture a hybrid F-150 for some time. Jim Farley, Ford president of global markets, said Ford is planning more innovation with its most popular vehicle. Offering hybrid and electric variants of the pickup would protect Ford's market share in that segment from automakers like Tesla that have been vocal about plans to launch electric pickups.
“Here's what's going to happen next to future-proof that global juggernaut of commercial vehicles,” Farley said. “We're going to be electrifying the F-Series, both battery-electric and hybrid. And we're doing the same for Transit.”
CEO Jim Hackett in his 19 months at the helm has pushed the automaker to get new technology into some of its most popular and profitable brands. An electrified F-150 could offer more efficient torque, and outfit the pickups with better electric power to the truck bed for aftermarket additions on work vehicles.
Ford officials didn't offer a timeline for the battery-electric F-150. The automaker plans to launch the hybrid F-150 in 2020. That vehicle will be built at Ford's Rouge Complex in Dearborn.
Ford spokesman Mike Levine confirmed the plan to build a battery-electric pickup, adding that it's part of Ford's push to find ways to build customers a better truck.
Hackett in recent days has teased a “surprise” regarding a different battery-electric vehicle he has had a direct hand in creating. The unnamed “Mustang-inspired” battery electric SUV is also due to hit the market in 2020. That vehicle is expected to have a 300-mile range, according to Ford's top officials. It will be a performance-oriented SUV. It doesn't have a name yet, though it was initially rumored to bear the Mach 1 badge.
All told, Ford plans to spend $11 billion on electric vehicles over the next few years to bring 16 battery-electric vehicles and 24 hybrids to the market. This comes after a series of misfires from the automaker on the electric vehicle front.
David Kudla, CEO of Grand Blanc-based Mainstay Capital Management LLC, said Ford might have been smart to let smaller companies like Tesla give electric vehicles mainstream appeal before setting out with their own electrified plans.
“Let Musk reap some of the joy of saving the planet and develop the market,” Kudla said. “Now that it's come along, (Ford) comes in…”
Hackett and Farley said as much during the Detroit auto show.
“We were late,” Hackett said Wednesday morning. “Now we think we're going to be a leader in this.
The battery-electric and hybrid vehicles in addition to adding performance to some Ford models will protect the lineup against any unexpected rise in gas prices, according to Ford officials.
“No transition is perfect,” Farley said Tuesday evening at Automotive News World Congress. “In a way, we had the advantage of watching what happened the first time around. (Customers) want really good stuff.”
ithibodeau@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Ian_Thibodeau
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Chevrolet ad will stop airing after Ford, Toyota, Honda challenge

A new Chevrolet commercial claiming the General Motors Co. brand is more reliable than Ford, Honda and Toyota has stopped airing nationally and will stop appearing in local markets after those three competitors challenged the ad's comparison assertions, The Detroit News has learned.
Ford, Honda and Toyota confirmed they each challenged the 60-second TV spot, which aired in Metro Detroit during the North American International Auto Show. Its title: “Chevy Surprises Competitive Owners When It Comes To Reliability.”
A lawyer for one of the three automakers who challenged the ad sent an email to GM's legal counsel this month demanding that the automaker stop making the reliability comparison claims in its advertising campaign, according to sources familiar with the correspondence. GM was given until 5 p.m. Jan. 14 to respond to the demands.
In a verbal response, a lawyer for GM told a counterpart at one of the rival automakers that Chevrolet is moving in a different marketing direction as it ramps up its campaign for the new Silverado pickup trucks, the sources said. And the GM lawyer added thatthe ad already had stopped airing nationally, with plans to remove the commercial from local markets in the coming weeks, the sources said.
“Chevrolet stands by the reliability claim and the ad remains in the brand’s toolbox but we have decided to take it out of the regular rotation at this time to launch new Silverado creative,” Chevrolet said in an emailed statement to The News. “We have not altered our marketing campaign because of any concerns with the accuracy of our ad content.”
The ad is still posted on Chevrolet's YouTube page. Ford and Toyota, however, say GM told them that the ad would be pulled after the two automakers complained.
“Through discussions with GM, we were informed they decided to pull the ad,” said Toyota spokeswoman Karen Nielsen. Honda declined to comment beyond confirming its concerns.
Chevrolet has agreed to stop airing the advertisement altogether, though it is still appearing heavily in Metro Detroit, Ford spokesman Mike Levine said. “We’d like to see that happen immediately.”
The ad, which started airing this month, uses the “Real People” premise Chevrolet has used for more than three years to claim that a “recent nationwide survey” found Chevrolet to be a more reliable brand than Toyota, Honda and Ford — three of the bow-tie brand's biggest competitors.
The reliability claim in Chevrolet's commercial, which was scrutinized last week by Jalopnik, is based on a survey of 2015 model-year vehicles commissioned by Chevrolet and completed by Paris-based market research firm Ipsos Group S.A. Fine print at the bottom of Chevy's reliability ad directs viewers to ChevyReliability.com for more information on the survey.
That website redirects to a one-page document that says Ipsos surveyed owners of 2015 model-year Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac owners versus owners of “competitive brands.” The research firm sent 840,979 “non-sponsored” letters to targeted owners and received 48,679 completed surveys.
The definition of reliability, Chevrolet says in the document, “is the percentage of vehicle owners who reported they have not repaired or replaced any vehicle components in the past 12 months (excluding fluids, filters and those related to accident/collision).”
Consumer Reports, which surveys its readers every year for a reliability study, found in 2018 that Toyota was the second most-reliable brand after its sister brand, Lexus. Honda finished 15th and Ford finished 18th. All three brands were ahead of Chevrolet at 23rd.
But J.D. Power's 2018 dependability rankings, which are more similar to the study Chevy commissioned for its reliability ad in that it looks at 2015 model year vehicles, ranked Chevrolet above Toyota, Honda and Ford.
As Chevrolet's reliability ad comes off the air, the brand is rolling out a massive campaign for its all-new 2019 Silverado pick up truck, which debuted last year at the Detroit auto show.
nnaughton@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @NoraNaughton
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The 500 new jobs project that would provide a huge boost to Ford’s Bridgend plant – Wales Online

The Ford engine plant in Bridgend will learn next month whether it will be the location for a new off road vehicle in an investment boost creating at least 500 new jobs. Bridgend is up against Portugal in a bid to be chosen for the project from Ineos Automotive and its new 4 x4 vehicle.… Continue reading The 500 new jobs project that would provide a huge boost to Ford’s Bridgend plant – Wales Online