Ford Pulling Maverick and Broco EVs

[Jeff.O.Taylor]

In some areas, it feels like their hands are tied. Any major movement toward EV production is perceived as the end of the world by the UAW. The recent strike forced the manufacturers into a position where phasing out ICE production in favor of EV is going to be very difficult.

I don’t have any problem with the idea of unions or unionization, but refusing to retrain your members to take on new roles is going to turn the UAW-reliant manufacturers into dinosaurs. More so than they already are.

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[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Agreed. That entire narrative stinks badly.

At a time when Lithium prices have dropped too. Dubious narrative.

 

[Autolycus]

I guess it's REALLY good that the tax credits didn't end up being tied to union shops like in one draft of the IRA.

 

[Sgt Beavis]

Honestly, from a business standpoint, I don't think they really have to build a BEV version of either. They can't build the ICE/Hybrid versions of either vehicle fast enough. I think they'll do a PHEV relatively soon. Waiting until 2030 means they'll likely build them on a dedicated platform instead of adapting to the current one.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Honestly, from a business standpoint, I don't think they really have to build a BEV version of either. They can't build the ICE/Hybrid versions of either vehicle fast enough. I think they'll do a PHEV relatively soon. Waiting until 2030 means they'll likely build them on a dedicated platform instead of adapting to the current one.

Agree. And they tend to charge a premium for EV products, because it's what they do (even if it actually doesn't cost them more than the ICE counterpart). And in this economy, with weak consumer borrowing power, the premium up-charge isn't going to fly. To which, they claim "weak demand for BEVs!".

Chicken or the egg? Is it weak demand or high retail prices? which came first? In one video on YT, Jim Farley even said to Jay Leno that BEVs typically cost them 40-60% less to put together on the assembly lines. It's probably still there live on Leno's channel.

I think the truth is not weak demand. It's legacy auto's reluctance to invest in new way of doing things (battery production and software development), in an economy that is expensive for them to borrow and finance those investments. That, is the real reason they are pumping the brakes.

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