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The Frick statement pretty well confirms Ford will stick with the conventional low/mid/high model tiering rather than one model with some options as was speculated with so many standard features. The tier names may change, but it seems they will follow the XL/XLT/Lariat trim level model...

There is no doubt there will be tons of software updates, including new features, fixes based on field inputs, plus the inherent software engineering habit of never finishing anything on time because they don’t have to with OTA. But in this case the hardware is a particular challenge since the...

Farley‘s Q4 launch comment (previously 2H27) reaffirms the Fathom really is a 2028 story. Although the launch happens in Q4 (as late as December) few people will have one by the end of next year. Full ramp up will happen in Q1 2028. And if it is as popular as the Maverick launch, some of us...

One thing is for sure, Ford took a big risk in cancelling the Escape CUV without any viable entry level replacement. Thats about 150k customers annually, and most of them are going elsewhere because they’re not buying Bronco Sports (Different category and no hybrid) or trucks. My daughter is a...

Agreed… if they had put the hybrid in the Bronco Sport, they’d be flying off the shelf in the current fuel price climate. There is no technical reason they couldn't have done it, the Bronco Sport is the same C2 platform as Escape/Maverick, so it would have slipped right in. The only possible...

I hope they don’t use streaming services as an excuse to remove the radio hardware, as Tesla and Rivian have done.

Agreed. And that is why there is no GM EV in my driveway. That and the lack of CarPlay/AA. Although I’ve heard GM is under tremendous and increasing pressure from their dealers to get CP/AA back. Nice to hear lane centering is now implemented on at least one vehicle, but I have no interest in...

Yes, it seems that none of the Japanese cars have lane centering with adaptive cruise, like Ford and VW. I think it might be because the Ford and VW systems are supplied by Bosch whereas the Japanese cars use a different supplier. GM purposely doesn’t provide lane centering because they want you...

Australian Ford Falcon, Ute version. They did some cool things there, like a crossflow head version of the inline six. But reality prevailed and now they drive more reliable Asian cars at half the price. All the auto industry employees were absorbed into other industries. Could happen here one...

There is nothing to suggest there are any program delays so far. All the disciplines are beavering away at meeting their respective task dates on the master vehicle program timeline, which governs every new vehicle introduction. One of the program sub-tasks is outbound marketing communications...

They really have no choice but to use aluminum alloys to keep the weight down for efficiency. Steel is just too heavy for the needed structural strength. GM made a big mistake using traditional stamped steel for the Ultium vehicles, all of which are incredibly overweight resulting in lower...

No skateboard… the three sections are self contained and bolt together near the end of assembly. There’s a video on the hidden Ford site that shows the “marriage” of the front and center sections on one side. Basically two overlapping blades come together and a bunch of beefy bolts go in to hold...

The launch model is selling for around $60k. A lower trim model should show up next year at around $45-$50k. One important note: The R2 has no radio, it has internet radio only. Some urban buyers don’t mind, but I’m not a fan of connection delays, drop outs and inserted ads that come with...

Seems like 3 key issues for the kind of camping you’re discussing. First is camp/pet/stealth/overnight modes, allowing climate control with no lighting. It‘s a simple software implementation. Tesla and Rivian do it, but no one at GM seems to understands this. This is Fords opportunity to...

Regarding the Sierra EV, my understanding is the current GM EV software contains pieces made by different groups and outside suppliers which is why it comes up short sometimes. Although the Ultium motors and batteries were all new, the electrical architecture was burdened by plenty of legacy...

That is for buying in Kansas and registering in California. The original issue was buying from a California dealer. That works for a California buyer but no one in their right mind would buy from a California dealer and register in another state, mainly because of the sales tax complications.

Typically the direct selling dealers do 3% below invoice, but sometimes 4% or even 5% depending on models. All the usual Ford incentives, public and private, also apply, subject to the normal stacking rules. Basically they just want to sell cars and we just want to buy them, so it’s a simple...

California is more strict about it than most states, mainly because of widespread past abuses. There is a penalty, but it is modest for the first few months or so, mainly as an incentive to just get on with it. The effective date is upon entering California, which is somewhat difficult to...

What a silly comment. No one could go into a store and buy a 12v battery in 1950 either when all cars had 6v batteries. Guess what happened next?! And your mind lives in such a static world that you cannot even conceive of a design without a LV battery where the keyless entry module directly...

People need to remember there are California sales tax complications for out of state buyers. You have to pay California sales tax unless the vehicle is shipped out of state by a third party. You should get a credit in your home state if you pick up and pay California sales tax, but if your...