Ford is bleeding to death on purpose so they can get more tax payer EV subsidies https://youtu.be/5MZeTeqdsTw
Wasn't Ford, unlike GM and Chrysler, NOT a recipient of bailout "too big to fail" federal money?
Ford to lay off workers as it focuses on electric vehicles
31–40 of 116 posts
Re: Ford to lay off workers as it focuses on electric vehicles
#32Earlier quoted context omitted.
You seriously don't change the oil?
I could be mistaken, but I think they're mostly not counting a procedure that basically amounts to loosening up a bolt that makes oil come out the bottom, tightening it back up again, and then adding new oil from the top side. I think the kind of maintenance they're thinking of is more like "replace the serpentine belt."
Many serpentine belts are a sub-10-minute job. Put a wrench on the tensioner, take the tension off it, slip old belt off, put the new belt on, release the wrench tension. It’s literally faster than any oil change (engine, diff, or transfer case).
Re: Ford to lay off workers as it focuses on electric vehicles
#33It's interesting that while other companies are doubling down on electric vehicles, Toyota has come out and said the opposite after being one of the first companies to start.
Re: Ford to lay off workers as it focuses on electric vehicles
#34They're laying off workers whose skillsets are specific to making vehicles with combustion engines and hiring workers specific to making vehicles with electric motors.
I wonder how the switch to electric is going to impact Ford dealers? From what I've read they need to (re)train their mechanics and buy a bunch of new equipment and then also deal with the fact that electric vehicles require less maintenance.
In my circles, dealers would always be the absolute last resort option for having any maintenance done due to their reputation of inflating prices and doing crappy work. Not sure if EV manufacturers are attempting to force consumers to have all their work done by dealers. If so, I’ll keep waiting.
Re: Ford to lay off workers as it focuses on electric vehicles
#35Earlier quoted context omitted.
I keep on reading that electric vehicles require less maintenance, but they still require some maintenance, and lots of things continue to break. how much maintenance does a honda ice car really require? Most of them run flawlessly for years and years, almost without opening the hood at all. I wonder how the numbers break down?
If Tesla is any indication, they'll be chock full of unnecessary complex gimmicks that will constantly break and need servicing. I once helped someone with a flat tire in a Model S who had zip ties dangling from every door handle. The "present mechanism" had failed in every door, look it up, it's a known problem of wire fatigue caused by the present mechanism's repetitive movement breaking the door handle. Imagine ow…
Looking forward to an electric car that’s not a gadget on wheels. Oh well that’s probably never going to happen
Re: Ford to lay off workers as it focuses on electric vehicles
#36Earlier quoted context omitted.
Dealers will slowly fade away as online car shopping becomes more common. Volvo for example is aiming at 2030 as the year they turn 100% online. It's reasonable to assume all other car makers will do the same. There's absolutely no reason to buy from a dealer in today's world, that's like when in the 80s and early 90s you needed a middleman to buy a computer.
How do you test drive a car for an online dealer? Do they drive to your home and let you take it for a spin?
In your Apple Vision Pro of course.
Re: Ford to lay off workers as it focuses on electric vehicles
#37Earlier quoted context omitted.
I keep on reading that electric vehicles require less maintenance, but they still require some maintenance, and lots of things continue to break. how much maintenance does a honda ice car really require? Most of them run flawlessly for years and years, almost without opening the hood at all. I wonder how the numbers break down?
Fans, belts, radiator, oil, (ironically) battery, (oil, fuel and intake) filters are eliminated. Bulbs, tires, alignment, washer fluid, cabin filters, and brake pads remain.
I’ve owned a few EV’s and they all have 12V batteries. The traction battery charges the 12V and it powers all the typical car power systems.
Re: Ford to lay off workers as it focuses on electric vehicles
#38Earlier quoted context omitted.
I keep on reading that electric vehicles require less maintenance, but they still require some maintenance, and lots of things continue to break. how much maintenance does a honda ice car really require? Most of them run flawlessly for years and years, almost without opening the hood at all. I wonder how the numbers break down?
You seriously don't change the oil?
There’s no oil to change. It doesn’t have a combustion engine.
Re: Ford to lay off workers as it focuses on electric vehicles
#39Ford is bleeding to death on purpose so they can get more tax payer EV subsidies https://youtu.be/5MZeTeqdsTw
Wasn't Ford, unlike GM and Chrysler, NOT a recipient of bailout "too big to fail" federal money?
yes, but it was more circumstantial. by lucky happenstance they had arrange a significant loan facility almost directly before the financial crisis. they leveraged this heavily but because the financing had been arranged ahead of time it left them more sound. Ultimately, the other vehicle makers just got loans from the government post-hoc.
Re: Ford to lay off workers as it focuses on electric vehicles
#40Earlier quoted context omitted.
Ford Credit (loans to purchasers of their vehicles) is on Ford's balance sheet while the others had to spin off those businesses in '08. So the debt situation is a bit misleading if you just compare the top level numbers to industry peers.
Ford Credit is what sells Ford vehicles, but it’s also where the profit is (roughly half of profits). Take away the credit biz, and that’s a material impact to both profits and volume. As the below article notes, it’s a balance and pushing risk around. https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/ford/2020/0...
Does that mean if you buy a vehicle outright all those folks buying on credit are subsidising you?