Think: negative media feeding frenzy > caveat emptor IMHO Ford's excuses to kill the Think City are the same as GM's: -no one wants them -no market for them ... -the dog ate my homework
When the Ford Ranger first became available, it had a a unique Ford AC drive train but it was based off an existing ICE Ford vehicle. The ineffecences were over come when Ford put a NiMH pack in, but recharge times and range were an issue. There was a positive effect when the Ford Ranger and Honda EV+ caused GM to reduce the lease price of their EV1. Even when Honda met their quota and dropped out, Ford Rangers later became available at a discounted price $300/mo. The Ranger was not the final design answer, but a good step in the right Ford direction. The NiMH Ranger had a 50 mile range at 65 mph. The heater and air conditioner were energy hogs when compared to the RAV4 EV design of using a heat pump (much more efficent). With a wind pusher profile, and Ford's first attempt to use an existing vehicle as an EV, they did well. But many people were hopeful when Ford bought PIVCO, with visions of sugar plums as Th!nk Citys roaming the USA roads. The marketing in Europe of the European Think City version was weak until recently, and was gaining UK media positive visibility. Many were patiently waiting for the 2002 turned 2003 Think City USA modle to hit the USA market. The Euro model had too low a top speed, a wimpy 3kw charger, and still had some of the PIVCO maintence issues (NiCad packs had to be regularly brought to the dealer to be balanced at $100+ a pop & 1 day of downtime). The unavailable 2003 USA model would have resolved some of those issues. Hertz (a Ford company) leasees of the Euro model were happy to bop around on the USA roads. In fact the consumer demand to lease them at a San Francisco Ford Dealer, S&C Ford could not keep them in stock. So, when Ford says there was no interest, that is not true. There were no USA models to promote, thus Ford did not promote it with typical strong advertizing. The public did not know about it, so the public had no way to be interested in it. There was strong USA interest in the Euro model as it was available in a few locations on the Hertz lease program. But other than allowing Think Citys to be used in certain station car programs, there were no strong Ford ads to promote the Hertz lease program of the Euro models. The Ford Nieghbor nEV had a few TV ads, but with DChrysler dumping GEM nEVs at Costco at near cost, and GM giving nEVs away to meet CARB quota, Ford should not include nEVs sales as justification to kill the Think City EV. Ford's Electric Bike design quality is not worthy of anything other than as a 'give-away' to promote the purchase of another Ford vehicle. If Ford had done their homework, they would have seen that the Ebike market was already saturated with much better designs than theirs, and would not of even offered a 'Ford Ebike'. So, Ford should not include their Ebike sales as justification to kill the Think City. Negative media feeding frenzy There is more Ford PR about Jr's decision to kill their EV product line, than Ford ever got when they offered EVs. I have a 10 to 1 ratio of fc to EV newswires. Companies are releasing PR to sop-up the EV attention, trolling for funding of their 'just another fc company' in a fc saturated market. caveat emptor Many people are still concerned with a company that is quick to state their commitment and then to later abruptly do an about-face. Ford Jr's actions copied what Honda has already done. This leaves the public with with a long term opinion that the automakers have a lack of commitment to EVs and their support. This will hurt future EV sales as the public will remember, automakers will drop the product on a whim. ... There are still EV stories being put out on the newswires that promote the use of the Ford Think City. I will POST them as a matter of history even though Ford has stopped availabity of their EV product line (but still pushes their fc line). - ===== ' ____ ~/__|o\__ '@----- @'---(= . http://geocities.com/brucedp . EV List Editor & RE newswires . http://egroups.com/group/evangel ===== __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Finance - Get real-time stock quotes http://finance.yahoo.com
