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Ford plans new hybrid series to compete with Toyota Prius, report says

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#1 ·
Ford plans new hybrid series to compete with Toyota Prius, report says

Ford Motor Co. plans to introduce a new hybrid gasoline-electric car in late 2018 to compete against the best-selling Toyota Prius, two sources with knowledge of the company's plans told Reuters on Wednesday.

The compact car will be Ford's first "dedicated" hybrid -- that is a vehicle designed to be marketed exclusively as a hybrid, rather than a variation of an existing gasoline model, such as the automaker's Fusion hybrid, the sources said.

The as-yet-unnamed vehicle will be built just outside Detroit.

The sources said Ford eventually could offer several different body styles of the new hybrid, as Toyota does with the Prius. There would be different versions of the car's gasoline-electric drivetrain, including a more expensive plug-in model that can be recharged from an electrical outlet.

read more at: http://www.autonews.com/article/201...ries-to-compete-with-toyota-prius-report-says
 
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#27 ·
I would think Ford would choose a name different enough not to confuse with any other Ford model. The issue now as far as name recognition is concerned, is that C-MAX is most known as an ICE vehicle globally. So using the name of an existing Ford vehicle won't help. Ford will have to offer a new name. With most Ford vehicle names starting with a F for cars, and E for SUVs in the states. But it seems Ford is expanding past that narrow naming theme globally.
I hate the "-Max" names. They make no sense whatsoever. They're almost as bad as alphanumeric names.
 
#29 ·
well...
C-max
D-Max (eDge)
E-Max (Explorer)
F-Max (Flex)
^ as a possibity? NOT saying to use the D &or E

tho I still like the idea of the top-trim using/keeping the Flex Name
Ford will need to offer something completely new. Recycling an old name on a current vehicle(Flex), or wedging a new vehicle family in the middle of an old ICE/Hybrid vehicle family(MAX) won't really help.

Ford really has to offer something new.
 
#30 ·
Ford will need to offer something completely new. Recycling an old name on a current vehicle(Flex), or wedging a new vehicle family in the middle of an old ICE/Hybrid vehicle family(MAX) won't really help.

Ford really has to offer something new.
I do agree, Bloggin
otoh-1
& no disrespect meant to FoMoCo, but
I'm not exactly confident about their Brand-creating abilities these days...
...building, developing, enhancing, expanding = Yes
...initiating:

otoh-2
imho a lot of existing criteria (+ our Missions' product-planning) can be easily adopted/adapted...
...just by taking a fresh look at what will be needed in a couple-few years - esp rather than what's been done by All mfgs so far.
Imho,
none have "cracked it" yet. ((at least
not below the Tesla Model S
and it I understood this, it's only about a C platform so far))
 
#31 ·
Ford will need to offer something completely new. Recycling an old name on a current vehicle(Flex), or wedging a new vehicle family in the middle of an old ICE/Hybrid vehicle family(MAX) won't really help.

Ford really has to offer something new.
I do agree, Bloggin
otoh-1
& no disrespect meant to FoMoCo, but
I'm not exactly confident about their Brand-creating abilities these days...
...building, developing, enhancing, expanding = Yes
...initiating:

otoh-2
imho a lot of existing criteria (+ our Missions' product-planning) can be easily adopted/adapted...
...just by taking a fresh look at what will be needed in a couple-few years - esp rather than what's been done by All mfgs so far.
Imho,
none have "cracked it" yet. ((at least not below the level of the Tesla Model S
and this is only about the C platform...so far))
 
#32 ·
I do like the C-Max name, but I understand why they would have to change it for global markets. The C-Max will probably be dumped in the US for the new model since its hybrid-only. C-Max will live on in Europe and other global markets.

What about E-Max? E for Efficiency? Or Energy? Economical? Ford already has gas-only B-Max and C-Max models. The E-Max could be their global hybrid model. E-Max Energi could be the plug-in. E-Max Electric the all-electric model.
 
#33 ·
^ hmm... I might have a suggestion, R.W., but it's "Reserved" (for below)

...otoh-1
& no disrespect meant to FoMoCo, but
I'm not exactly confident about their Brand-creating abilities these days...
...building, developing, enhancing, expanding = Yes
...initiating:

otoh-2
imho a lot of existing criteria (+ our Missions' product-planning) can be easily adopted/adapted...
...just by taking a fresh look at what will be needed in a couple-few years - esp rather than what's been done by All mfgs so far.
Imho,
none have "cracked it" yet. ((at least not below the level of the Tesla Model S
and this is only about the C platform...so far))

forgot a shameless plug/link for the NEW Chapter of
Mission2020(or sooner): The RE-Inventing of "MERCURY" whatever it's called
 
#34 ·
The Original Article


Credit: Reuters/Daniel Munoz
(Reuters) - Ford Motor Co (F.N) plans to introduce a new hybrid gasoline-electric car in late 2018 to compete against the best-selling Toyota Prius, two sources with knowledge of the company's plans told Reuters on Wednesday.

The compact car will be Ford's first "dedicated" hybrid - that is a vehicle designed to be marketed exclusively as a hybrid, rather than a variation of an existing gasoline model, such as the automaker's Fusion hybrid, the sources said. The as-yet-unnamed vehicle will be built just outside Detroit, .

The sources said Ford eventually could offer several different body styles of the new hybrid, as Toyota does with the Prius. There would be different versions of the car's gasoline-electric drivetrain, including a more expensive plug-in model that can be recharged from an electrical outlet.

The new Ford hybrid is expected to arrive as a 2019 model, roughly 21 years after the introduction of the original Prius in Japan. Toyota is planning to unveil its fourth-generation Prius late next year, the sources said.

Ford spokesman Chris Preuss on Wednesday said the company doesn't comment on speculation about future products.

Ford plans to build the new hybrid at its Wayne assembly plant in southeastern Michigan, at an annual rate of about 120,000, the sources said.

Some of the hybrid technology, including electric motors, controllers and batteries, will be adapted from Ford's current hybrid models, although the dedicated 2019 model is expected to provide better fuel economy and range than today's hybrids.

The 2019 model, which carries the internal code C240, will be built on Ford's new C2 global compact architecture, which also will underpin the next-generation Focus and Escape, the sources said.

Ford, like other major global automakers, has been investing heavily in hybrid technology to meet increasingly stringent emissions and fuel economy standards in North America, Europe and Asia. But consumer demand for hybrids hasn't come close to meeting the industry's sales projections.

Sales of the Chevrolet Volt, General Motors' (GM.N) widely advertised plug-in hybrid, have been just 10,635 vehicles through the first seven months of this year, down 9 percent from a year ago, despite heavy dealer discounts.

Sales of Ford's C-Max hybrid are down 29 percent in the first seven months, to 16,444. Sales of its Fusion hybrid are up 24 percent, to 31,092, but still only account for one in every six Fusions sold in the U.S.

Prius, which has been sold in North America since 2000, remains the leading hybrid in global markets. Its U.S. sales in the first seven months of this year are down 11 percent to 127,776. Last year, worldwide sales of the Prius topped 400,000.

Part of the success of Prius has been attributed to Toyota's efforts to build its "green" car into a branded family of different hybrid models, from the tiny Prius C hatchback to the van-like Prius V. Prices start at just under $20,000.

The Volt has been hampered by its higher sticker price. Even after a $5,000 price cut a year ago, the base model starts at just over $35,000, although Chevrolet dealers continue to offer discounts of up to $6,000 on that, as well as zero-interest financing and low lease rates.

In about a year, Chevrolet plans to introduce a redesigned, second-generation Volt with improved features and performance, as a 2016 model, the sources said.
 
#35 ·
2018 is just 4 years away.

The first vehicle to use the new C2 platform should be the Focus, that is being refreshed for MY2015 and should be on the new C2 platform for MY2017 in 2016.

"Some of the hybrid technology, including electric motors, controllers and batteries, will be adapted from Ford's current hybrid models, although the dedicated 2019 model is expected to provide better fuel economy and range than today's hybrids."

With that being said, it seems the primary development is with the new lightweight C240 platform that can also be a C2XX for an EV.
 
#36 ·
there are a few things in this thread
1) Ford is waiting for C2 ... I cannot wait to see the C2 ... it has some big shoes to fill given that everything from the Focus up currently rides on a version of the C1.
2) We are looking at a C-max that is built specifically to be a bit futuristic, bit practical, and very fuel efficient.
3) Read Wings' post. The line will be called Ford Amp(-ed). This has been rumored for a long time.
4) I am excited to see what the 2 C2 hybrids offer. It think the Hybrid brand has been a long time coming
 
#37 ·
Re: Ford plans new ("A.M.P.") hybrid series to compete with Toyota Prius, report says

^ THANKS for the clarification, Igor :thumb:
...crossreference
American Perfection
:clap:


2018 is just 4 years away...
actually....
3 years + 1 week + minutes depending on locale

...the primary development is with the new lightweight C240 platform that can also be a C2XX for an EV.
Oh?!? :joyous:

...C2 ...has some big shoes to fill given that everything from the Focus up currently rides on a version of the C1...
it will be extremely interesting to see how/where this 'dovetails'(?) with D6/CD6/whatever
(( actually
this sounds an awful lot like my old circa2007-08 FML lineup's "FLX" & "ACE" platforms
except
I thought the larger ACE would still be F-Awd and a GRwdP would happen as well...
...NOW, "The 6" looks like it might handle ALL the mid&larger cars no matter which wheels get powered))
 
#38 ·
Re: Ford plans new ("A.M.P.") hybrid series to compete with Toyota Prius, report says

it will be extremely interesting to see how/where this 'dovetails'(?) with D6/CD6/whatever
(( actually
this sounds an awful lot like my old circa2007-08 FML lineup's "FLX" & "ACE" platforms
except
I thought the larger ACE would still be F-Awd and a GRwdP would happen as well...
...NOW, "The 6" looks like it might handle ALL the mid&larger cars no matter which wheels get powered))
D6 is EUCD (aka C1 based). This is how Ford worked. C1 was released in 2004 under the Focus. Then it spawned EUCD; then it got a redesign for the current Escape, C-max, and MkIII Focus; then CD4 for the Fusion/Mondeo/Edge, and now D6 for the Taurus etc.

The C2 will be released with NG Focus and follow similar staggered release of larger and larger modifications. C1 will end up with close to 20 years of production (it turned 10 last year). The first 5-8 years of C2's life will see a co-prduction of C1 derivatives, until they are all replaced with C2 derivatives.
 
#47 ·
Re: Ford plans new ("A.M.P.") hybrid series to compete with Toyota Prius, report says

sticking this here...
since this thread became an A.M.P thread (in my mind anyway :angel)
+ provided some nice background imho
2b2 said:
it will be extremely interesting to see how/where this 'dovetails'(?) with D6/CD6/whatever...
D6 is EUCD (aka C1 based). This is how Ford worked. C1 was released in 2004 under the Focus. Then it spawned EUCD; then it got a redesign for the current Escape, C-max, and MkIII Focus; then CD4 for the Fusion/Mondeo/Edge, and now D6 for the Taurus etc.

The C2 will be released with NG Focus and follow similar staggered release of larger and larger modifications. C1 will end up with close to 20 years of production (it turned 10 last year). The first 5-8 years of C2's life will see a co-prduction of C1 derivatives, until they are all replaced with C2 derivatives.
&
...wondering if "A.M.P." & "Dragon" are 2 HALVES of FoMoCo's coming B-thru-CD solution??
might have found aNother HALF to the B-thru-CD program:

Revolutionary steel treatment paves the way for radically lighter, stronger, cheaper cars
Gizmag

by Loz Blain - December 10, 2015


Back in 2011, we wrote about a fascinating new way to heat-treat regular, cheap steel to endow it with an almost miraculous blend of characteristics. Radically cheaper, quicker and less energy-intensive to produce, Flash Bainite is stronger than titanium by weight, and ductile enough to be pressed into shape while cold without thinning or cracking.

It's now being tested by three of the world's five largest car manufacturers, who are finding they can produce thinner structural car components that are between 30-50 percent lighter and cheaper than the steel they've been using, while maintaining the same performance is crash tests. Those are revolutionary numbers in the auto space...

- - - & - - -

Boeing says it created lightest metal ever...
CNNMoney

by Chris Isidore - October 14, 2015

...a microlattice material which it describes as 99.99% air...

(I think this was posted in some other thread as well)

= = = = = = =

so...
somehow I'm now thinking that the mostly-larger cD6 will be primarily aluminum
while the mostly-smaller A.M.P will use a new STEEL process

:nerd: ? :nerd:
 
#40 ·
Re: Ford plans new ("A.M.P.") hybrid series to compete with . . . . . .

Automakers race to double the driving range of affordable electric cars
AutoNews:Europe - March 25, 2015
*and*
Reuters - By Paul Lienert - Mar 24, 2015

DETROIT (Reuters) -- Automakers are readying a new generation of mass-market electric cars with more than double the driving range of today ... betting that technical breakthroughs by big battery suppliers such as LG Chem will jump-start demand and pull them abreast of Tesla Motors.

At least four major automakers - General Motors, Ford Motor, Nissan Motor and Volkswagen - plan to race Tesla to be first to field affordable electric vehicles that will travel up to 200 miles (322 km) between charges...

...Automakers need to pump up electric vehicle demand significantly by 2018. This is when California and eight other U.S. states will begin to require the companies to meet much higher sales targets for so-called zero emission vehicles - in other words, electric cars - and federal rules on reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gases become much stricter.

None of the four automakers contacted by Reuters for this story - Ford, GM, Nissan and Volkswagen - wished to comment on future products or other related matters.

Battery breakthroughs...
..."Several factors are at play that are landing at this 200-mile range" for a vehicle priced between $30,000 and $35,000, LG Chem CEO Prabhakar Patil said in an interview. "We've been talking to several OEMs (automakers) regarding where our battery technology is and where it's going."

LG Chem also supplies standard lithium ion batteries to the Ford Focus Electric and may supply the longer-range batteries to a new compact EV that Ford is tentatively planning to introduce in late 2018 or early 2019, according to three suppliers familiar with the program.

Compared with the 2015 Focus Electric, which has a range between charges of 76 miles, the new compact electric model would have a range of at least 200 miles, the suppliers said...
 
#41 ·
Toyota to unveil new RAV4 Hybrid in New York

Toyota is finally prepared to introduce the hybrid version of its RAV4.
The company has released a teaser image showing the back end of the hybrid compact crossover, which will be formally unveiled at the New York auto show.

Rumors surrounding the project have circulated for years, and a Toyota executive even hinted that the company was gauging demand at least as far back as 2012 when the current generation was introduced.

Additional details are unclear, though the previous reports hint at a powertrain borrowed from the Camry Hybrid. If true, the crossover will be pair a 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine with an electric motor, good for a combined output of 200 horsepower.
http://www.leftlanenews.com/toyota-to-unveil-new-rav4-hybrid-in-new-york.html


FYI....The RAV4 is already outselling the Escape. But so is the CR-V, and the Nissan Rogue is just 3k units behind and catching up.

Escape is down -3.8% while RAV4 is up 25.3%, CR-V is up 16.7% and Rogue is up 19.5%.

It may be coming clear that Ford needs to start designing vehicles specifically for the NA market(like they do for China), instead of modifying too small UK/European/global models for the US.

Examples:
Fiesta: too small...larger Nissan Versa dominates the US market
Focus: too small...larger Corolla, Civic and Cruze dominate by a growing margin
Escape: too small...larger CR-V, RAV4 dominate the market by growing margin

Ford knows this which is why they had offered a 'retrofit' with the new larger Escort, where the Focus was being hammered by the larger Jetta.

Oh...and where is the hybrid drivetrain for the Escape?
 
#42 ·
Bloggie said:
Examples:
Fiesta: too small...larger Nissan Versa dominates the US market
Focus: too small...larger Corolla, Civic and Cruze dominate by a growing margin
Escape: too small...larger CR-V, RAV4 dominate the market by growing margin
I used to be a Focus-segment customer but it's already getting too big ON THE OUTSIDE
while
having been MORE POORLY space-utilizing ON THE INSIDE


luckily, I may never be able to afford another car when my current econobox-that-think-it's-a-racecar goes to the GreatFreeWayInTheSky....
 
#43 ·


It’s the Mercedes-Benz GLE 550 e (confusingly badged the 500 e in Europe), which will be available alongside conventional versions of the SUV this fall. World premier is expected just days from now at the New York International Auto Show.

Pricing is not available at this time.

GLE 550 e is equipped with V6 gas engine and a seven-speed automatic transmission, combined with an electric motor for total system power of 436 hp, 479 ft lbs of torque and of course it’s AWD.

Electric motor is only 85 kW (340 Nm), although according to Mercedes-Benz, that’s strong enough to reach 130 km/h (80 mph) in all-electric mode.

The relatively small battery pack of 8.8 kWh can be recharged in two hours, but electric range is stated at just 30 km (19 miles).

If you often use all-electric mode, fuel economy could be 3.3 l/100 km (over 70 mpg).

http://insideevs.com/mercedes-benz-gle-550e-4matic-plug-in-hybrid-on-sale-this-fall/
 
#44 ·
Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid Derives Technology from Volt
GM estimates combined fuel economy ratings to exceed 45 mpg
- media.GM.com

2015-03-25

DETROIT – Chevrolet’s recent production announcement of its all-electric vehicle based on the Bolt EV concept, as well as the introduction of the 2016 Chevrolet Volt, will be joined by a strong hybrid version of the next-generation Malibu.

Using technology from the 2016 Chevrolet Volt propulsion system, Malibu Hybrid will offer an estimated combined fuel economy rating exceeding 45 mpg, higher than the combined mileage ratings of the Ford Fusion, Toyota Camry and Hyundai Sonata hybrid variants...

...
An all-new direct-injection 1.8L 4-cylinder engine mated to a two-motor drive unit slightly modified from the 2016 Chevrolet Volt drive unit powers the Malibu Hybrid. The drive unit provides additional power to assist the engine during acceleration, for 182 horsepower (136 kW) of total system power.

The engine also features Chevrolet’s first application of Exhaust Gas Heat Recovery, or EGHR, technology, which uses exhaust heat to warm the engine and cabin. EGHR improves engine warm up and assures consistent fuel economy performance in cold weather. Additional fuel economy benefits come from Exhaust Gas Recirculation, or EGR.

An 80-cell, 1.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack provides electric power to the Hybrid system. The advanced lithium-ion based chemistry can power the Malibu hybrid at up to 55 miles per hour on electricity alone. The gasoline-powered engine will automatically come on at higher speeds and high loads when necessary to provide additional power...
 
#45 ·
Is that a DRAGON in that A.M.P.?

just cut'n'pasting cuz can't check the links just now...

Ford Bridgend Engine Plant - wiki
...In March 2018(?), Ford of Europe made the recommendation to Ford HQ in Detroit to build the new "Dragon" designed petrol engines at Bridgend, after a review of options across plants in: Valencia, Spain; Cologne, Germany; and Craiova, Romania...

- - - - & - - - -

India New Engine Sourcing Hub: Ford, Nissan - indiancarsbikes.in
"Ford’s Dragon engines may be ready by 2016-17,and the American car maker plans to produce 1.5 million units of the 1.2 and 1.5-litre engines a year globally, according to a source."

- - - - & - - - - not sure where this is from:

...According to a report on the Economic Times, Ford plans to source a new family of engines called the ‘Dragon.’ The report quotes ‘a person of knowledge’ who says that the Dragon engines are for Ford’s models from 2016-17 and that the company plans to source 1.5 million units per year of 1.2- and 1.5-liter capacities...

- - - - - - - - -

wondering if "A.M.P." & "Dragon" are 2 HALVES of FoMoCo's coming B-thru-CD solution??
 
#46 ·
Re: Is that a DRAGON in that A.M.P.?

just cut'n'pasting cuz can't check the links just now...

Ford Bridgend Engine Plant - wiki
...In March 2018(?), Ford of Europe made the recommendation to Ford HQ in Detroit to build the new "Dragon" designed petrol engines at Bridgend, after a review of options across plants in: Valencia, Spain; Cologne, Germany; and Craiova, Romania...

- - - - & - - - -

India New Engine Sourcing Hub: Ford, Nissan - indiancarsbikes.in
"Ford’s Dragon engines may be ready by 2016-17,and the American car maker plans to produce 1.5 million units of the 1.2 and 1.5-litre engines a year globally, according to a source."

- - - - & - - - - not sure where this is from:

...According to a report on the Economic Times, Ford plans to source a new family of engines called the ‘Dragon.’ The report quotes ‘a person of knowledge’ who says that the Dragon engines are for Ford’s models from 2016-17 and that the company plans to source 1.5 million units per year of 1.2- and 1.5-liter capacities...

- - - - - - - - -

wondering if "A.M.P." & "Dragon" are 2 HALVES of FoMoCo's coming B-thru-CD solution??
Nanjing, China and Dearborn, Mich. - The Dragon Engine Global Purchasing Program Team is made up of employees from multiple regions. As a result of their collaborative approach to maximize participation from all regions, they were able to develop and drive implementation of an engine supplier selection strategy, earning the team a 2013 Diversity and Inclusion Award.
http://www.at.ford.com/news/TeamCon...ments-Engine-Supplier-Selection-Strategy.aspx

The original Ford proposal to build a 1.5-litre engine that also had a hybrid version, called for an investment of about $2-billion, but fell significantly by the time negotiations broke off.

A major Ford Motor Co. engine investment that the federal and Ontario governments were trying to land in Windsor, Ont., will instead go to Mexico, underscoring the difficulty Canada is having competing for auto investment against its partner in the North American free trade agreement.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/repo...tment-in-windsor-ont-sources/article21285428/
 
#50 ·
Looking at the competition, Hyundai just launched their latest and best hybrid effort, and it still came up 1mpg short combined behind the 4 year old Fusion Hybrid that has had an mpg downgrade. Toyota with their new model came up short too.

But I am sure it's the 48/45/47 coming with the 2016 Malibu that Ford is targeting.

Which is why I have high expectation for the 2017 Fusion Hybrid and Energi models, along with the new hybrid coming from Ford.

 

Attachments

#51 · (Edited)
...But I am sure it's the 48/45/47 coming with the 2016 Malibu that Ford is targeting...
for MPG "targeting", just-imho
FoMoCo might not use any production or close-enuf-to-production vehicle that WE've already heard about;
more likely (re-imho) just paint-by-the-numbers
* 50 / 50 / 50 * ...anything less = bad

wonder IF they're allowing A.M.P & cD6 SEGMENTS to have different targets?

& wonder what their BEV e-range is for Soon? 300?
and 2020 = 400?

all that^said,
I can easily see them developing vehicles that hit the target(s)
YET
'decontenting' them to intro at a pricepoint,
with the "upgrade" already baked in
.
 
#54 ·
Next up is the Fast Charging Network, now that the Focus Electric will need Fast Charging.

So far Ford has not announced a partnership with a Fast Charging Network operator, or an investment in installing Fast Chargers. BMW/Nissan just announced the plan to install 120 public Fast Chargers across 19 states on the Greenlots charging network.

Coming very late to the Fast Charging game, Ford must have a plan to partner with a large charging network operator, and offer Ford owners special charging privileges.
 
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