Test Drove a C-Max hybrid today

No, fix a flat and tire slime are not a total replace for a spare, but a single spare wouldn't have helped you in the case with nails , and other cases of more than 1 tire lost. It is all about risk assessment. For most people a spare tire isn't needed, because of modern tires and cell phones. If the need of a spare comes along, it is likely underinflated or flat because they never checked it.

Having a spare on board doesn't make a car safer to operate, and you aren't denied getting a spare yourself, so getting the government involved is unneeded. If you want a spare, there are still models that have or offer them, and they can be purchased from a third party. The Leaf community figured out an Acura wheel fits, so those that want a spare can get one from a junk yard. The Focus wheel likely fits the C-max.

 

In order to get to how likely it is, you need to figure the odds

You have a car with TPMS and no spare

Odds you shread exactly 1 tire that is not reparable
In a location that does not have cell phone coverage or it takes an unreasonably amount of time to get to your car


I have had exactly 1 occasion in my Prius where I shredded a tire in my Prius of course it was a road hazard and I actually shredded two. I did have to wait 2 hours for a tow, as my spare was worthless with 2 flat tires.

In your situation don't buy a car without a spare, but certainly the odds are not high for your proposed situation. Not high enough that we need more government regulation. Have you shredded a tire with a tpms car without road hazard where you were outside of cell coverage?

I have stopped on the side of the road in the past to help people put there spares on. Having a spare is a good thing, but there are a lot of people that are clueless on how to use one, and need help anyway.

 

Ford has a brand new transmission for the Fusion/C-max, and it is all 100% Ford. Of course, now I can't find the article on it, but it is built in the states now. As far as the spare goes, if thats the only thing you can beef at Ford about, well, thats a sorry excuse. Sounds more like someone who would like to see the plant burn down so it doesn't outsell the precious prius.

Sorry, but is exactly how it comes across to me.

 

Here is the transmission plant
Ford Builds Only FWD Hybrid Transmission To Be Made in North America | Hybrid Cars
Not in the above article, but other information, Ford can switch the line between hybrid and standard automatic transmissions continuously. This will allow them to create any mix for the fusion as demand changes. In the past, aisin would need long lead times to change production, and of course Michigan is less likely to have supply disruptions from tsunamis than Japan. The $220 M is a fixed cost already paid, variable cost on the c-max and fusion should be much lower than the old hybrid transmission.

 

Smart move, even if they are built by higher paid Union workers.

 

Welcome to Toyota-can-do-no-wrong PriusChat.

 

LOL

 

This uses a JIT (Just-In-Time) type of manufacturing technology, which is a pull concept. This means that they are using customer demand to drive the mixture of transmissions being produced, rather than forecasting the demand. Remember, a forecast is always wrong!

 

Yes and no. I belive they are using a build to stock which does incorporate sales that does the pull. Ford underestimated hybrid demand for the fusion so stock is low. What does happen is this is much more responsive to demand than using aisin, and ford said this was the primary motivation. Toyota moved the same parts in house in the gen III prius for the same reason. Aisin holds some of these patents, but I think agreed to allow Toyota and ford to use them in house after they bought from them for awhile. That time must be up for ford. Both Toyota and ford are claiming a cost savings. If ford had paid aisin for development, I believe aisin could sell the same or similar parts to Toyota. Using Aisin definitely saved ford money with the escape, but supply problems hurt sales in some months.

 

Once they have established their initial stock levels, basically sales creates the pull demand as you said. They then build back to these stock levels. The stock is acting as a buffer (crutch), reducing inventory turns and increasing throughput time. These stock levels should be adjusted as part of ongoing analysis. The ultimate goal is to eliminate the buffer stock, because this is seen as a "non-value added" item.