Ford struggling to deliver on big bet on hybrids

Tha part's correct. But I'm not so sure about people not willing to gamble on new technology from an American company. After all, didn't Ford get their technology from the first-gen Prius? So it's not really all that untested, and die-hard American buyers would say it's better.

I think the real issue is price vs. mileage. They load up their FEH with a bunch of bells and whistles to help justify (or hide) the price premium. But if you're buying a smaller SUV, you probably don't want the top end, otherwise you'd be looking at a bigger/luxury SUV. So if you're paying that much more, you'd demand standout mileage. The Escape hybrid does well for its class, but a diesel would do the same. It's interesting to note that in the article, they didn't compare mpg rating, in fact the words "efficiency" and "mpg" did not show up at all, and "mileage" only showed up once. They need to revisit the basics, not blame Toyota.

I think Toyota Prius has the best combination available of price, size and efficiency. You can be quite green, not spend a ton of money, and still haul around your kids and the groceries. I don't think having a unique body style has much, if anything, to do with it. It certainly didn't sell me on the car, altho I've grown to accept it. If sales were due to people interested in a car styling that shouted "green" to other motorists, then the Honda Insight would be taking the Prius's spot as the most-sold hybrid.

nerfer

 

So long as one ignores copying the Prius I, and buying Toyota's IP -- yeah, it's true

 

I have to say that as someone who watches a fair amount of television (probally more than I ought to) I cannot recall ever seeing a televison advertisment or hearing an ad on the radio for the Toyota Prius. Yet how many ford and GM commercials do I see on tv in any given 1/2 hour on the television? Usually at least 4 or 5 depending on channel and time of day.

I really love the new ford advertising campaign with Bill ford sitting on a stool telling everyone how ford is leading American innovation... ford's sales figures would seem to indicate that this message is not working... When a car company is trying to sell cars by focusing on something other than its cars, i find that troubling.

Everyone is worried about the terrible state that the American auto industry is in. As a loyal American, I have to say that if this is the best our auto industry can do, then perhaps the time has come for the American Automotive Industry to collapse. If Ford and GM really can't compete any better against Toyota, Honda, etc, or develop better, more adavanced, and just better looking, newer models of automobiles, then they have no right to be in the auto industry.

There is a reason fewer and fewer Americans are buying Ford and GM vehicles each year. Their cars suck. (sorry, but I cannot think of any other word that works) They have made little changes in their designs in the last 10 years or so beyond adding MP3 players and other insignificant bells and whistles. Who wants to still by a Ford Explorer or a chevy Trailblazer??? Not to many people that I know... It its truly painful to watch the folks an hour north of here up in Detroit spinning their wheels (no pun intended) trying to understand why they cannot get people to buy their cars when at least to me (and it would seem, many of you) the answer is so obvious.

If people dont want the product you are making, no amount of incentives or rebates will entice consumers to purchase it. But if you can make an original, quality product that people want, you do not even need to advertise it as the product will sell itself (as Toyota has learned). To me, the idea of trusting an amaeican automaker to relaibly build a hybrid anything is a scary prospect. I cannot even rely on any of the american automakers to build a quality, safe conventional car. With exploding tires, random fires, seatbelts that detach in crashes, and endless recalls, who would want to "Buy American"?

::sigh:: Ok, im done ranting for now...

 

I agree but it makes me sad. I remember WW II when the superior industry capacity of the USA came to the rescue of the world. If we go to war with China will they make our tanks and airplanes for us? I say this is spite of the fact that I haven't own a US built car for many years. Still, that is not a matter of prinicple for me. If they build car that looks good for me, I will take a chance on them.

Allan de

 

Let us all hope that we NEVER go to war with China, as I seriously wonder if we would be able to win that one... (And I don't want to have to learn Chinese, I can barely form a sentence in Spanish... or english for tht matter!)

 

i find Ford to be in a very interesting position. I feel that their priorities are slowly coming into line, and that their hearts ore in the right place. Their problem, however, is execution.

Ford debuted their hybrid technology back in MY 2004. I was overall impressed with the Escape Hybrid, but I was anxiously waiting to see what they would do next. Sadly their next moves in hybridizing their fleet disappointed me... For 2006, they introduced the Mariner Hybrid.. Just a clone of the Escape. For 2007 , they'll introduce the Mazda Tribute Hybrid. Yet another clone of the Escape.

The Prius is in a category by itself, but Ford really should be aggressively getting into the next frontier for the hybrid automakers... the midsize car, with the likes of the Camry and the Accord. The new Fusion could have been a hybrid design from the beginning just like the new Camry, yet for some unexplained reason, Ford is going to wait until 2008 before coming out with competition for the Camry and the Accord. What gives?

Execution, people!

 

As I've been reading it, Ford developed it completely on their own based off previously existing planetary gearing ideas, found out it infringed on Toyota's already-filed patents in this area, so did some cross-patent swapping with Toyota.

Ford gets to use their design without getting sued, and Toyota gets some of Ford's diesel patents. Not sure if that qualifies as copying the Prius I and buying Toyota's IP.

So gotta give Ford a lot of credit for doing this and being well ahead of GM.

Of course, now Toyota is now being sued by somebody in Florida claiming they owned patents on Toyota's HSD stuff.