Ford's Plug-In Hybrid
Thursday, September 27, 2007, posted by Jay Stevens at 6:26 PM





Do you still remember the groundbreaking agreement between Ford and Southern California Edison announced earlier this year, in July to be precise? Of course you do. Under the agreement, both companies will be joining hands in the development of a practical plug-in hybrid vehicle. Well, that project is well under way with new updates from the automaker's newsletter. According to the Dearborn auto manufacturer, their plug-in hybrid research team is working with their counterparts at Southern California Edison.

The team-up between the two companies has made the development of the plug-in hybrid vehicle much faster. Ford announced that they are ready to go into the next phase of the development of the vehicle. For that, the R&D team will be joined by joined by Ford's Sustainable Mobility team. Prior to that, the team has already conducted tests on two vehicles, one is a production Ford Escape Hybrid and the other one is a prototype of a plug-in Ford Escape Hybrid. Engineers have been testing the two vehicles and comparing their performance in different areas.

The next phase according to Ford is to "determine the technology development and the usage patterns of customers, as well as explore possibilities for a sustainable business case". These steps are necessary to make commercialization of plug-in hybrid vehicles possible. One of the issue that has to be addressed is if the grid can provide the power needed t charge millions of plug-in hybrids in the future.

"We're looking for a solution that will be broader than just the technology," said Nancy Gioia, Ford's director of Sustainable Mobility Technology. "We understand the technical challenges to plug-ins, but we also need to understand how plug-ins really fit into the electric grid, and how we develop a business model that could actually make this technology accessible and affordable down the road," she added.

Plug-in hybrid vehicles are said to be the future of automobiles. This technology is suited for car owners who do most of their driving on city streets. These vehicles are designed to run on a combination of petroleum fuel and electrical power. The key component to a hybrid vehicle is a battery pack. This is as important to a plug-in hybrid as brake components from EBC Active Brakes Direct are important for maximum stopping power. This battery pack stores electricity which is needed to power the vehicle's electric motor. Ford should be able to develop a battery pack which can store enough power to drive the plug-in hybrid over long distances. For the meantime, we wait for these vehicles to be practical enough to be mass produced.
 
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What You Should NOT Tell Your Car Dealer
Wednesday, September 26, 2007, posted by Jay Stevens at 5:30 PM



Forbesautos.com has been very informative. We received daily car updates including the latest news on the motoring industry. The website also released tips on car buying, car maintenance and many more. Just recently, The Auto Channel revealed their newest list: top ten things a car buyer should not tell their dealer.

AIADA revealed that Forbes told some of their customers things they should not tell their car dealers. To some consumers, purchasing a car is a hard and extremely stressful experience however it doesn’t have to be that way. If you want something like a sedan car, you should know exactly what to look for and what you should not look for.

Forbes was able to complete the ten things a customer should not tell their car dealers during the purchase of a car. Rob Gentile, the director of car-buying products at Consumer Reports, was quoted by theautochannel.com saying, "The educated consumer is the one who will drive away with the best deal and the best experience.”

The site also posted these tips so the car buyers may have a better knowledge about what to say and what they should not say. In fact, if you say something wrong, it's better to have said "I'll take whatever" or "I think you can do a lot better." These can give the customers huge discounts. Read the top ten things a car buyer should never say to a car dealer:

List of 10 things you should NEVER say to a car dealer:
1. "I'm ready to buy now."
2. "I can afford this much per month."
3. "Yes, I have a trade-in."
4. "I'm only buying the car with cash."
5. "I'm not sure…which model do you think I need?"
6. "Oh, I've wanted one of these all my life."
7. "I'll take whatever the popular options are."
8. "What's the lowest price you can give me?"
9. "Sure, I'll look at the numbers with you."
10. "I think you can do a lot better than that."

 
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“Make Every Day Exciting”
Thursday, September 20, 2007, posted by Jay Stevens at 9:36 PM


How can you make your day exciting? I mean aside from bringing the best out of your Subaru transmission mount or driving down a clear highway. What gives you the thrills to make your day complete?

If you don’t have anything in mind, why don’t check out Ford’s “Make Every Day Exciting” (MEDE) brand campaign? I found this great news from the press releases published in Ford.com. Anyway, let’s dig in with this exciting piece of news and speaking of the “Make Every Day Exciting” (MEDE) brand campaign, Ford Thailand has successfully organized the campaign which showcased the top overall customer experience in Thailand’s automotive industry for both service and sales. Ford has been recently highlighted by accomplishing the highest-ever scores in both J.D. Power Asia Pacific’s 2007 Thailand Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) and the Thailand Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) studies!

“Achieving the top scores from an internationally recognized and respected organization like J.D. Power and Associates really validates our ongoing commitment and passion towards delivering world-class customer service in Thailand. It also confirms that our customer-centric 'Make Every Day Exciting' campaign is being very well-received and appreciated by our Thai customers,” says Tom Brewer, Ford Thailand’s President.

A series of customer-focused programs was applied by Ford in Thailand to guarantee outstanding service standards and stability across Ford’s nationwide network dealers. J.D. Power Asia Pacific’s 2007 SSI study revealed that Ford executed mostly well in five out of six fields being reviewed, including 'delivery process', 'salesperson', 'dealer facility', 'delivery timing' and 'deal'.

“Ford's nationwide network of dealers is united in its vision, values and commitment to deliver the customer experience in Thailand. Thanks to Ford’s support in all areas, we're able to provide our customers with more of the products and services that they really want and need,” says Somsak Paniengthong, the Chairman of the Ford Dealer Council.

From February to May, the J.D. Power Asia Pacific's 2007 Thailand CSI Study was carried out. The evaluations revealed that 3,246 new-vehicle owners had purchased their vehicles between August 2005 and May 2006. Ford performed particularly well in the areas of 'service advisor', 'in-service experience' and 'service delivery'. Ford mostly earned high ratings in the pickup segment as well.

“The SSI study showed that more than 60 percent of customers considered several models, and visited an average of three dealers, before making a decision. We're confident that the Ford showroom and product-test experience is the best in the industry, and when potential customers visit our dealers, they’re impressed with what they see. The Ford Solutions and Ford Active customer relationship programs have also successfully increased our customer retention and satisfaction. Many fun and colorful marketing activities, such as the recent 'Ford Challenge', provide great opportunities for customers to get closer to the Ford brand," Brewer added.

 
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Ford Disappointed with the latest Anti-Speed Campaign
Monday, September 17, 2007, posted by Jay Stevens at 11:41 PM


Who will not be disappointed if an advertisement actually uses your car model as the one losing control and rolling into a ditch? If you have seen the latest Anti-Speed television ad, the car that overspeeds is a late-model Ford Falcon. Ford expressed their disappointment on the freshest advertisement.

Just like a Mazda distributor cap, that piece of news has also been made available online as reported by the Herald last Sunday. Ford wanted the ad stopped and it cost the Land Transport New Zealand (LTNZ) a huge 2 million to have the ad axed. The organization also contacted its lawyer as according to news on yahoo.com.

The advertisement shows a middle-aged man driving a late model Ford Falcon and it crashes because of overspeeding.

According to Clare Ponton, a Ford spokeswoman, the Motor Industry Association and LTNZ had violated the contract set about the cars on ads not to be identified. She told a newspaper about this and she also added, "We do have concerns which we are raising with LTNZ and we are looking at our marketing, legal and PR options.”

She also said, "We take customer safety very seriously... the new XR6 will have dynamic stability control, the new Mondeo has knee bags... that's why we are so concerned about this."

The LTNZ advertising manager Paul Graham is trying to redeem their reputation that the ad would not be pulled out and the organization was on "hugely solid ground" like yahoo.com revealed. The television advertisement was well researched before it was finally produced.

Graham said, "Car ads are all very similar, in showing the driver enjoying the moment, the curving road ahead of them...”

He also said, "We are after an audience that likes a performance car, enjoys the moment of driving, considers themselves a superior sort of driver - it's the area we want to be."

The LTNZ advertising manager expects that the advertisement would be off the airwaves within 18 months.

Dog and Lemon Guide’s editor, Clive Matthew-Wilson, also gave a comment about this news. He said that the ad was inaccurate and misleading. He continued, "Statistically, fatal speeding accidents tend to involve young working class males driving a Japanese import.”

"Middle-aged men driving new Ford Falcons have comparatively few fatal accidents."
 
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Indian Bidders Lose Interest on Land Rover and Jaguar
Friday, September 14, 2007, posted by Jay Stevens at 6:22 PM


For the past months after the Ford Motor Company announced that they were selling Premiere Automotive Group (PAG) members Land Rover and Jaguar, two of the most famous Indian companies expressed their deepest interest towards acquiring the brands. These Indian companies were Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra. But it seems like Mahindra & Mahindra have already given up on the bidding for the two brands.

Economic Times reported last Friday that Mahindra & Mahindra have already given up the bidding for both Land Rover and Jaguar. However, Tata Motors is still interested in purchasing some stakes of the brands.

Mahindra & Mahindra is one among the most influential top tractor and utility vehicle makers of India. When the spokesman was asked about the issue, they failed to make a comment immediately but Tata Motors also declined to comment.

Mahindra & Mahindra lost its interests towards Land Rover and Jaguar because of the issue about the two Premiere Automotive Group members depending on Ford for its powertrain. The Indian car makers are also concerned about the emission norms it would have on their European brands in 2012.

Tata Motors is so lucky to be receiving Fiat support. According to the Italian company, they are willing to give the technical support for the Indian company if they expressed their interest towards Land Rover and Jaguar.

U.S. buyout firms TPG and Ripplewood are also reported to have a huge interest for the two PAG members. A source familiar with this matter reported the news earlier on Reuters. However, Ford is still planning on more details to push through its sales for both Land Rover and Jaguar this coming year or maybe earlier in 2008.

Ford is always proud of their brands because of the parts they install on their cars are made to be quality. Just like the Chevy catalytic converter which is also made with excellence.

 
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2008 Ford Focus: In The Spotlight!
Thursday, September 13, 2007, posted by Jay Stevens at 1:54 AM



Thousands of car enthusiasts will definitely swarm the premises of the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show wherein several car manufacturers will show-off their newest models for 2008 as well as their various extraordinary concept cars for the future! Your cool head gasket Canada will definitely heat up as you discover these splendid cars at the show especially if you happen to see the latest Ford Focus model! Every new model is the center of attention for every pair of automotive eyes present. And of course the Ford Focus is one of the crowd favorites in the spotlight! What’s with the Focus that makes us fall for it easily? Let’s listen to John Fleming, the President and CEO of Ford of Europe, and check out his review of the 2008 Focus!

"The Ford Focus is very special to Ford in Europe. When it was revealed in 1998 it represented a huge step forward for us in terms of style and desirability over its predecessor. It truly changed the perception of Ford for many customers and journalists alike. That's why we felt it was vital to apply our new Ford design language, 'kinetic design', to the Focus as soon as we could. At the same time, we have taken the opportunity to make Focus even more practical and contemporary and added further quality improvements. Our design and development teams have done a really great job and I'm proud to present the new Ford Focus," says Fleming, President and CEO, Ford of Europe.

The New Ford Focus’ Details At A Glance:
  • New 'kinetic design' exterior
  • New interior with enhanced quality and new centre console
  • New Ford PowerShift six-speed double-clutch transmission
  • New Focus ECOnetic with average CO 2 of only 115 g/km
  • New Focus with 1.6-litre TDCi engine - all variants achieve 120 g/km CO 2

In the article published in http://www.media.ford.com/, Gunnar Herrmann, the C-Car Vehicle Line Director of Ford of Europe, during the introduction of the new Ford Focus, shared his thoughts about the new Focus: "It is not easy to improve something that is already good and well-proven. If you don’t take great care you run the risk of unnecessarily changing something that was really good before - and not for the better. With the Ford Focus, acknowledged as a great car, we were determined not to implement change for change's sake. We nevertheless managed to make the new Focus even better in specific areas. But it also made us proud that many of its attributes did not have to be touched at all. So you can still look forward to enjoying the driving dynamics of the Focus."

"Energy in Motion - what Ford vehicle would better suit the Ford 'kinetic design' philosophy than the Focus? After all, the Focus was a major factor in establishing Ford’s excellent reputation for driving dynamics. The balance we have created between dynamics and harmony makes the new Focus the best looking Focus ever," added Martin Smith, the Executive Director Design for the mentioned Ford arm.

 
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How Will You Convince Bill Ford?
Tuesday, September 11, 2007, posted by Jay Stevens at 1:10 AM


How are you supposed to convince Bill Ford, Jr. that the 104-year-old family company that he once run needs a total overhauling? Can you tell it straight to his face?

As FoMoCo’s sales continue to dwindle this summer, Alan Mulally, Ford’s new CEO, made a visit to the office of his boss. He intended to make a bold proposal - the selling of the company’s Volvo division.

"No," the honcho responded. “Volvo was one of the few profitable pieces of the car wreck that Ford Motor has become. It's still a great brand with great values."

Mulally, 62, retorted that if Ford can't jump-start sales of the cars with your name on them, "none of the rest of this is going to matter."

"I looked at him," Ford, 50, told Newsweek, "and I thought, 'You know, that's right'."

Bill Ford and Mulally’s situation is one of the strangest in the auto industry. A new chief hired by the boss who has somewhat contributed to the historic losses of the company and a boss who disregards family tradition of close control over everything in the hope of putting a halt to increasing losses.

"It's very unusual that the ex-CEO hangs around," Ford acknowledged in a joint interview with Mulally, the first they've given since the change. Mulally, 62, says he insisted Ford, 50, to remain as chairman because he values the enduring family commitment. "It's my private equity," Mulally quipped.

A year ago, Ford fired himself as CEO to pave the way for the Boeing exec. You might ask: "Is Bill Ford in witness protection?" Ford noted he didn't want any confusion about who is in charge now. "There's no time for any kind of political garbage," he said. "I had to keep saying, 'Alan, please don't worry about me ... We don't have time for politeness.’ Obviously everything was not done brilliantly in the past."

Basically, Mulally inherited the company at its lowest point. Newsweek reported he had to mortgage all the automaker's assets - including the Ford name - to raise a lifesaving $23 billion line of credit. He pulled Ford to a surprise $750 million profit in the second quarter, but it still loses money in the United States, where it's fallen behind Toyota. He has been a constant source of pressure at Ford. But so far, he hasn’t recruited a new exec to join the recuperation efforts.

Soon after Mulally arrived, execs began going to Bill Ford, saying the new guy didn't know what he was doing. Ford brushed them off, saying: "Talk to Alan. He's going to make the decisions."

Of course, Ford and Mulally won’t waste time talking about the design of Mazda car covers, Mercury tyres and Ford mirrors. Notwithstanding their awkward situation, Ford and Mulally have created a nice working relationship. "In the past, people wouldn't come in and tell me when things were screwed up," said Ford. "It really took somebody from the outside to come in and see the blindingly obvious."

 
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Aston Martin New Models Go Sportier at Frankfurt
Sunday, September 09, 2007, posted by Jay Stevens at 11:27 PM


If you think Aston Martin is finally going to have a break on creating more cars for the UK market, then you are wrong. The Ford Motor Company has completely sold the entire stake of the Ford luxury brand to three private equity groups. But they are still continuing the production of the vehicles under this brand. Of course, with quality like Audi tune up parts, I am pretty sure the new owner of the luxury car brand will definitely give it more fame and power.

At the soon to open Frankfurt Auto Show, two new sportier cars from Aston Martin are going to be revealed. These cars are purely racing-inspired according to the automaker.

The first sporty car was taken from last June’s 24-hour Nürburgring race. Remember the racing car called the V8 Vantage N24? One among the three racing cars was driven by Aston Martin Chief Executive Ulrich Bez. And the new car is based from it. The sportier car I am referring to is called the V8 Vantage 400.

The car received the same powertrain part of a V8 4.3L engine that comes with 400 horsepower producing 310 pound-feet of torque top-end version. The new car also received the same sporty package like the second Aston Martin car. The new V8 Vantage 400 is given new interior and exterior decors as well as more electronics like HID headlamps, a 700-watt premium audio as well as satellite navigation.

The second sporty car is called the DB9 LM. It was taken from the June’s GT1 class 24-hour Le Mans race. The car that the DB9 LM was patterned from was the DBR9. The new car however does not come containing any fire extinguishers or roll cages but it does have an additional sporty package as an option. The new sporty car is also given new car parts like diamond-turned color-keyed alloy wheels including a revised suspension. The exterior part is covered with a silver paint job with the entire interior covered with more elegant special leather upholstery.

Prices and other specifications will be revealed at the auto show itself.


 
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2008, A Colorful Year For Ford!
Thursday, September 06, 2007, posted by Jay Stevens at 5:24 PM



Ford’s success is very evident over the years… just try to recall the achievements Ford has garnered over the past decades that brought out the best innovations that the industry has offered to millions of global consumers. Ford has maintained their status as one of the world’s leading auto manufacturers and up to the present, they still bring the brightest colors to the whole auto industry!

Speaking of colors, guess what I’ve heard from TheAuoChannel.com yesterday? Ford has prepared a new set of colors on its palette for their 2008 models! Of course, aside from auto parts like the Subaru distributor cap, a car must have the dazzling paintjob to attract more consumers! That’s why today, Ford has stroked the freshest shades on their vehicle line up!

“People express themselves in every aspect of their lives - from the hues in which they dress themselves and their homes to the color of vehicles that they drive - so we strive to deliver dynamic and diverse colors. After all, it’s the paint color that will first connect the customer with a vehicle, so we’re designing the best core colors technology now allows, along with the freshest hues to match the design trends and tastes of our diverse customers,” says Jon Hall, Ford’s lead paint designer.

“We look to various elements of our environment for inspiration about new color trends, including architecture and product design because these items have longevity. We figure if customers are going to commit to a brightly colored washer and dryer or sofa for instance, they’re apt to also choose a bolder-colored vehicle that will live their driveway for several years,” Hall added.

Here are some samples from Ford’s newest hues for the 2008 model year courtesy of TheAutoChannel.com:

“Color of the Year”
Ford is turning up the heat with a custom deep, spicy red - called Candy Apple Red - featured on the 2008 Ford Mustang.

The New Black
For the 2008 model year, black is the new black. Ford has created a new, industry-leading pigment named Tuxedo Black that will launch on the all-new Lincoln MKS flagship sedan.

Eat It Up
Ford’s 2008 vehicles are creating an appetite with new colors including Candy Apple Red, Dark Cherry, French Silk, Light Sage, Kiwi Green, Merlot, Orange Frost and White Chocolate.

Wellspring
Two of the top-selling colors on the new Ford Escape, Mercury Mariner and the hybrid versions
are Kiwi Green metallic and Ice Blue metallic. Additionally, a new opaque metallic that mirrors foliage, called Moss Green, is offered on the Lincoln MKZ and other sedans for 2008.

Density Rich
Select Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles will appear even more attractive in an all-new smoky-silver metallic, called Vapor, and incandesce bronze, called Earth.

No more Refrigerator Whites!
Ford’s great white effort started with the 2007 model year’s creamy White Chocolate tri-coat metallic. For 2008, Lincoln is offering the color White Suede across the line-up.

Savories
Blazing Copper - the trend color launched on the Ford Edge in 2007 is back!
 
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Ford Workers Cling Tightly To Their Hope
Monday, September 03, 2007, posted by Jay Stevens at 9:39 PM



Amid the rigors of FoMoCo’s restructure plan, the company’s workers are still keeping their fingers crossed hoping that no further injuries would be inflicted to them.

It can be recalled that the turnaround plan of the automaker called for dramatic slashing of jobs, closing of plants and launching of new product lines that tickles consumers’ fancy. As such, a significant number of workers were deprived of their job. Even today, there are still some workers who may be meted with the same verdict. The situation is perhaps worse than brake hose Canada workers. But still, Ford workers do not want to throw their hopes away…

Free Press has shared this story:

Within days of arriving in Michigan 41 years ago, Carl Webb, now a 62-year-old Ford worker, landed a job making as much money in an hour as he had made in a day in his home state of Alabama. Over the years, two brothers, his wife, one daughter and two nieces would follow him into the auto industry. Seven Webbs are former or active hourly workers for Ford, a company they say has been a blessing to the family.

But on this Labor Day, a holiday initiated a century ago to honor working men and women, the Webb family, and much of metro Detroit, is coming to terms with a new labor movement and auto industry.

With the UAW contract expiring in two weeks, Ford, General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC are pushing hard to lower labor costs. Webb, a man with a booming voice and the passion of a tent revival preacher, said he has a message for the auto companies.

"I want to tell you one thing," Webb said in a recent interview with four relatives at UAW Local 400 in Shelby Township. "The news media throws out negative stuff - the UAW is the cause of the companies to be in the shape that they're in."

The UAW isn't the cause of the problems, Webb said. The UAW and its members helped build these companies. "The UAW will be around," Webb said. "We will be around. The old school is going to stay and protect these young people."

Union members represented 12% of the U.S. workforce in 2006, about half the percentage of 30 years ago, according to UnionStats.com, which tracks membership through U.S. census data.

The union, headquartered in Detroit, had 538,448 members, based on its annual report last year. That's about a third the size of its peak in 1969 with 1.5 million members. For the union’s members, the decline is frustrating because of the unraveling of a new scenario in the auto industry.

The fact is: nothing lasts forever. And jobs do not fall on the exception. Sadly, workers have to battle the fears to cling in the hope of a more positive tomorrow. At this point in time, that’s the most that they could do. But still, it is better than thinking negative and losing every positive light they have.

 
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