I think the real risk to Ford’s potential and existing customer base for the Ford Maverick and other Ford products is Toyota and its Tacoma pickup which will be brought out as a hybrid and eventually a plug-in hybrid. No doubt a Tacoma hybrid would be much pricier than a Maverick hybrid, but Ford’s custs/potential custs may be willing to pay a lot more for perceived quality from Toyota and the fact that the Tacoma is a bigger truck (but not too much bigger).
Ford’s CEO needs to stand in front of a Ford Maverick and promise he will fix production problems with the supply chain of the Mav hybrid AND recommit Ford to hybrids. He also needs to figure out how to make money from hybrids.
Toyota is still betting on hybrids. Ford, using Toyota hybrid technology, should make the same bet. And Ford should get to plug-in hybrids asap. (Ford has experience with plug-in hybrids — Ford CMax for example.)
Finally, Ford should not think it has lots of time to address its Maverick problems and recommit to hybrids. No doubt GM and Ram will be slow to come out with a Mav competitor, BUT Toyota will not be slow.
These are my thoughts and I’m sticking to them.
- You give Jim Farley too much credit. As if he can fix the problems with the supply chain. It is world wide across all markets.
- "Ford should get to plug-in hybrids asap." The Escape (same platform as the Maverick) is a PHEV.
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