Ford CEO Fields: Ford Will Out-Tesla Tesla Bring EVs to the Masses

Sales of plugins will slow, however imo, they will not slow as much as hybrids.
Driving under electric power is simply more convenient, and more fun.

Cost of fuel and environmental reasons are great, but a much larger segment of the market responds to the convenience and fun aspects.

 

agreed, i think people buying plug ins now are like the hybrid buyers 10 years ago. low gas prices will affect hybrid buying more, a la the poster who just dumped her '08 for a wrx.

 

As of last month!
Overall Hybrid Take Rate 2.43%
Plug-in Hybrid Take-Rate: 0.29%
Battery Electric Take-Rate: 0.46%

 

As Bob so often points out, one month doesn't give you the big picture.

EVs are the new kid on the block. They will of course not overtake the F-150 in sales this month.
People are just starting to learn about them and many can only buy 2-4 in their local area.
Once the advantages of the electric drive are well understood by everyone I believe it will be very easy to see the marketplace's positive response.

How has the take rate trended over the last 6 months?

 

This will probably hurt the hybrid market in the US the most, and we are likely to see contraction in the prius liftback and v the most. In Japan taxes will still support it, and the market was tiny outside in europe and asia so not much will change there.

I would expect plug-ins (bev and phevs) to gain market share as they are not dependent on the argument that it will save you money. No one is buying a tesla or a volt to save money. The biggest share losers in plug-ins will probably be the volt as people wait for the next generation. I would expect ford energi, tesla S, and leaf sales to grow. Perhaps we get 20% growth in 2015 instead of the 50% growth some were hoping for.

 

I follow: October 2014 Dashboard - HybridCars.com
The are only a few enthusiasts/early adopters out there , bought hybrids, much like myself, for the TECH, like it and now want plug-ins, but I really like this: 2015 Lexus RC F Sport Package 8-Speed with Paddle Shifter!

Will test drive soon!

 

Sure.
Why not?

The genie is already out of the bottle where the technology is concerned, meaning that a lot of the non-recurring engineering expenses (R/D) has already taken place. Add to that the fact that many of the people that are buying PHEVs are not looking for some kind of magical payback threshold. Some people sincerely believe that they're benefiting the Earth, and others are just looking for a little green and white sticker so that they can be HOV scofflaws.
I'm actually interested in getting a PHEV as a backup power supply for hurricanes, and the fact that I can charge at work will make my next car a little more economical viable.
When somebody spends $30,000 for a Volt, everybody breaks out these stoopid spreadsheets for ROI trying to justify why it's smart or stupid to buy a PHEV.
Why do I not see these same spreadsheets in Truck forums?

All things are relative.
I remember people holding their heads in their hands and screaming that the end is near the first time gas hit $2.00/gal.
I saw gas at $2.31 before Thanksgiving.
At that price?
You still don't want to waste it.

It will cause maybe a brief diminution in PHEV sales, but CAFE regulations and the fact that people who design cars for a living are not complete morons will probably keep PHEV developments from dimming out.

"Pure" EVs will continue to evolve as well if only because they're going to be pulled along by their PHEV cousins.

Yikes!
A lexus with a Jay Leno chin!

Well?
You at least cannot call it stodgy!

 

, He is a good looking man!

 

The easy stats are for the last 10 months
October 2014 Dashboard - HybridCars.com

hybrids dropped 8.4% in unit sales yoy, and take rate dropped to 2.8% from 3.3% (-0.5%)
phevs gained 25.5% in unit sales yoy, and take rate increased to 0.71% from 0.60%(+0.11%)

 

'halcyon24' just paid $17, 899. for a new 2014 lift back model II blizzard pearl. 'nuff said.

 

ETC(SS) You could buy a backup generator purpose built for days on end powering your whole house. Methinks you are looking for an excuse for your next toy.

 

You're partially correct however (comma!!) I'm tired of tinkering with gas generators.
If you're frugal with electricity, 1.5kW can go a long way.
Combined with the ability to charge free at work, federal kickbacks, and the fact that gas prices will depress PHEV prices, AND the fact that the Volt 2.0 will be hitting the streets soon......

Like I said earlier, what's the ROI on an SUV?
I'm not bagging on SUV's.....I still drive one......my LAST one.

Do I think that FOMOCO will out Tesla Tesla?
Nope....but I'll settle for some added competition!

 

Yep timing is everything. We got our 04 Gen II at the end of 04, as gas prices bottomed - & GM was ramping up Hummer production. Gas shot back up - SUV sales withered - and Prius owners felt better about their seemingly goofy car buying decisions. If history repeats itself as it often does - it may be a very good thing, to be able to avoid the gas station all together.
.

 

Was Ford joking? I don't think they know what they're talking about when they say they'll out-Tesla Tesla. Tesla changed the auto industry to a certain degree, Ford has been largely doing the same-old, same-old for a century. I think more BEV competition will be good for consumers, so bring it on, Ford!

 

ford ceo steps down, and it isn't fields. that experiment didn't last long.

i have to wonder if chrysler will be the last american mfg. standing, and if so, how long until their dinosaurs no longer roam the planet.

 

Chrysler was bought by Fiat in 2014.

I guess it depends what you mean by "American" manufacturer.

 

Yea - North America includes Canada & Mexico, & even if you consider Mexico Middle America, that too is America. And GM makes a bunch of their stuff in both of those directions. Nothing is made in one place anymore.
That said, did anybody notice this zombie thread is over 1/2 decade-old? Not only did Ford fail to out Tesla Tesla, he failed to out Tesla that little tiny company that Tesla was some 5 or 6 years ago. That would definitely have been a much easier job. What the other manufacturers fail to realize is that out Tesla Tesla means they also have to get their act together with a real national charging infrastructure. Do they have a strategy for that? Or do they not even realize that's what they need a strategy for.
.

 

Fields left in 2017, and Ford has continued working on EVs and hybrids since he left. The current Ceo is leaving, not because of EVs, but because he wasn't able to get the stock price up.

 

how do you get the stock price up?

1) build excitement = tesla

2) neglect long term health for short term gains = american corporate think

3) ?