smith revolver cop
Member
I'll be happy to buy the electric car, as long as I can charge it up by plugging it into outlet powered by a utility plant burning high-sulfur coal!!!
Ford Motors shoots itself in foot.
- Thread starter oldRoger
- Start date
gregintenn
Member
I may be wrong, but I understand that the battery in a currently produced hybrid vehicle has a life span of 100k miles. I also understand that it will cast about $4k to replace. How many people will want to spend 4k on a car with 100k miles, when it is also going to need tires, brakes, timing belt, hoses, belts, skocks/struts, etc.? How are we going to dispose of all the old batteries, let alone the pile of junk cars no one wants?
riptrack44
Member
You'd think with the technology at our disposal, a modern steam car could be made and marketed. It certainly isn't a new idea and was tried about three decades ago but the super heater gave them fits so it was shelved. With the electric car, the batteries are the "Achilles Heel" of the entire concept. When they wear out, the cost will floor you…
84CJ
US Veteran
I cant question Ford on there plans.I am a simple tool maker. But I think it is long overdue. The US car industry is always slow to react. I would think the people at that plant would be happy. That is the future like it or not. I dont prefer any one make to the other ( I drive a Chevy Z-71 now). I buy what I like at the time I get ready to buy and Ford is looking better and better to me. I applaud them for making a move toward the future in these hard times.
gregintenn
Member
Do you reckon we could make a really big wind up car?
84CJ
US Veteran
Originally posted by gregintenn:
Do you reckon we could make a really big wind up car?
I like it
Racegunner
Member
Most of the nay sayers missed this post....the rest of you can keep on bitchin' while I keep on watching my Ford stock climb.
(quote)I don't know what Ford is going to build, only what is published. Hopefully they have enough flexibility in the plant design to build whatever can be sold when the plant goes on line.(quote)
I am with you racegunner, I remember Ford stock dropping to I think $32 on Black Monday (Oct 19, 1987) another Engineer and I at GM watched Ford Stock drop, I said we should quickly go get a mortgage on our houses borrow every cent we can find and buy Ford Stock, he agreed, but of course we kept putting it off, worrying that it might go down further. And thus the native hue of resolution Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought, ----- we did not end up rich.
A caution though Ford is going to have to go to the mat with the UAW, the stock will get volatile then.
I am with you racegunner, I remember Ford stock dropping to I think $32 on Black Monday (Oct 19, 1987) another Engineer and I at GM watched Ford Stock drop, I said we should quickly go get a mortgage on our houses borrow every cent we can find and buy Ford Stock, he agreed, but of course we kept putting it off, worrying that it might go down further. And thus the native hue of resolution Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought, ----- we did not end up rich.
A caution though Ford is going to have to go to the mat with the UAW, the stock will get volatile then.
Don't know enough about this but having driven all makes of American cars & trucks all my life & lived thru several wars I still believe in American products. Don't think the present admistration will be successful in getting us into rice burning vehicles or electric. They want to raise electricity to the max but don't want atomic power. So the price of electricity will rise to gaoline standards. Guess I'll keep my old Explorer & get buried in it.Only drive it to the doc's & the range anyway.
Gun-runner
Member
Originally posted by 84CJ:
Originally posted by gregintenn:
Do you reckon we could make a really big wind up car?
I like it
Geat idea! Not only an effecient "green" auto but one that makes you get up an hour early and forces you to workout!
guntownuncle
Member
Actually, my wife regularly gets 45 to 48 MPG driving her Prius around town. When I drive it out of town I'll get somewhere in the low 50's on the interstate, but I rarely exceed 65 MPH no matter what I'm driving. It is supposed to work the opposite, higher in town, lower on the interstate. Toyota guarantees the batteries for 8 yrs. They should work longer than that, but they won't guarantee them past 8 yrs.
By the way, we didn't buy it for the "green" aspects. I wouldn't care all that much if it spit arsenic out the tailpipe. Just on general principles I don't like sending any more money than I have to to people who hate us. My wife's brother has served three tours in Iraq. She doesn't like the idea of helping to buy bigger bombs for the bad guys. Did we pay extra for the hybrid? Yes, but it is worth it to us.
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Spotteddog
Member
Fede6,
I'm sure that Ford would have LOVED to have been "allowed" by our EPA & DOT to import the Mondeo! I've long been one who extolled the virtues of highly efficient Diesel's for automotive applications. But, here (USA) we have individual state's with environmental boards that care little about the practicality and efficiency of a platform. Often, they'll be swayed to draconian edicts about certain items based solely on the emotional appeal of one? Due to surrounding states accepting another state's so called "standards", one entire region of our country can be made off limits to certain products power plants. Currently California, Oregon and Washington state are all running the California clean air board standards. And the last time I checked, all 3 deny use of Diesel cars (though newer european designs are welcomed and used just north of our border with British Columbia) Lately some allowances have been made to our rules as long as low sulphur fuels are run. But it remains a HUGE hodgepodge of conflicting rules and regulation. That's what I referred to in an earlier posting about keeping the regulators/politicians out of the design and operational process being imperative, to assuring a products success.
I'm sure that Ford would have LOVED to have been "allowed" by our EPA & DOT to import the Mondeo! I've long been one who extolled the virtues of highly efficient Diesel's for automotive applications. But, here (USA) we have individual state's with environmental boards that care little about the practicality and efficiency of a platform. Often, they'll be swayed to draconian edicts about certain items based solely on the emotional appeal of one? Due to surrounding states accepting another state's so called "standards", one entire region of our country can be made off limits to certain products power plants. Currently California, Oregon and Washington state are all running the California clean air board standards. And the last time I checked, all 3 deny use of Diesel cars (though newer european designs are welcomed and used just north of our border with British Columbia) Lately some allowances have been made to our rules as long as low sulphur fuels are run. But it remains a HUGE hodgepodge of conflicting rules and regulation. That's what I referred to in an earlier posting about keeping the regulators/politicians out of the design and operational process being imperative, to assuring a products success.
CAJUNLAWYER
Member
any one who owns a Prius is a (EDITED BY CAJUN LAWTER)
DeathGrip
US Veteran
"Friends don't let friends drive Prious'sssss sesusez!
Racegunner
Member
I think the economy allows Ford to have some leverage this time. They may end up in better shape after the dust settles.
$32 / share was still pretty high. I'm bettin' it won't ever be lower than $1.25...even if it hits $10 I did well, and it looks like it might make it past that in the long run. Still might be a good time to buy.
Also, it's a damn good thing Ford is still using that Wayne plant, since the city already spent their share of revenue ahead of time...idiots.
Bullseye Smith
Member
I had a little chevy that got 50+ MPG in the 80's, drove from Charleston WV to Fl. for $13 bucks, can't do that today. The little VW did the same thing, why can't we build more of these? The oil companies are the ones to blame for the car companies being in trouble.
Roose Hurro
Member
Oh, and there was a funny thing about those turbine cars... they ran even with a broken transmission. Yes, I remember reading about a drive some auto writer had in one of those. Car worked, and drove fine, even though the transmission was broken.
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LoadedRound
Member
You've brought up a good point. I had an 81 Dodge Omni that would touch 40 mpg (epa ratings were 31 /39)on a long trip and an 82 Ford Escort that would do 39 mpg. Safety regulations were much different in the 80's. That Omni weighed 2200lbs, but they wadded up like a beer can in front end collisions. Look at the curb weights for small cars today. We've added about 800lbs to make cars more crash worthy. Not sure who's fault it is, but weight uses gas.
gmchenry
Member
Nah. If the Big 3 would be allowed to collapse and then rebuild from the ashes, they could be in better shape. But alas, the Obama administration will fiddle with it to the point that the UAW will have the controlling interest in the company. They'll be sucking cash out of the government (us) for their workers for a good 10 years before things really go down hill.
I get a kick out of how people compare how folks do things in Japan or Western Europe to the US. Little electric cars with short range might work in those tiny places. It would take you a week, most of it spent recharging, to drive across Texas.
As has been pointed out, there is efficient tech out there that can make more efficient conventional vehicles. It's too bad that government regulation keeps them out of our market.
