George Pipas, Ford’s sales analyst since 1997, recently told CNBC that he is cautiously optimistic about Ford’s sales momentum as well as economic expansion in the U.S. during the second half of 2009 and early 2010. Top financial and business media, investors and security analysts frequently turn to Pipas, who joined Ford in 1976, for his studied analysis of U.S. market trends and insight regarding the company’s progress.
Now you’ll have your chance to ask him your questions about Ford sales. Join him here for a live chat at 12:00pm (EST) on Thursday, September 3, 2009.
<a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&task=viewaltcast&altcast_code=e2c1ba3295" mce_href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&task=viewaltcast&altcast_code=e2c1ba3295" >Chat with George Pipas, Ford’s Lead Sales Analyst, on Trends in New Vehicle Sales</a>
Pipas said there is reason to believe that economic expansion is possible due to strong interest among small business owners for work vehicles such as the Ford F-Series trucks, E-series vans and Ford’s new Transit Connect compact van that debuts in 2010. He added that consumer consideration for the Ford brand is up 17 percent since the beginning of the year, and Ford’s Focus, Fusion and Escape have recently posted record sales.
Pipas added that the government’s recently concluded Cash for Clunkers program helped drive a second straight sales increase for Ford and that the company has gained market share in 10 of the past 11 months. He is cautious about industry-wide sales levels going forward, however, because the economy is not yet on firm enough ground to sustain the level of sales seen in August.
The scene at Barber Motorsports Park and Museum in Birmingham, Ala., on Monday, wasn’t the sort of engine-revving, tire-smoking event one normally sees in NASCAR country. But it was arguably more “electrifying.”
The media turned out in force at the venue to test drive the Ford Escape plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), which Alabama Power and its parent Southern Company is road testing in partnership with Ford. Representatives from the Electric Power Research Institute and the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition also participated in the event, which was followed on Tuesday by a “Green Fleet” event for Alabama Power and Southern Company employees.
Electric Companies Get Plugged in with Ford
Alabama Power is one of Ford’s several utility and research partners conducting real world road testing with the Escape PHEV. The other partners include:
Southern California Edison
New York Power Authority
Consolidated Edison of New York
American Electric Power of Columbus, Ohio
Progress Energy of Raleigh, N.C.
DTE Energy of Detroit
National Grid of Waltham, Mass.
New York State Energy and Research Development Authority, a state agency
Ford was the first automotive manufacturer to partner with the utility industry in a shared effort to understand all of the issues related to PHEV technology and its interconnectivity with the electric grid.
The research into PHEVs focuses on four primary areas: battery technology, vehicle systems, customer usage, and grid infrastructure. The utility companies also will explore the potential for stationary battery application and the value of energy storage.
The partnerships will help Ford accelerate its electrification strategy, including bringing a full battery electric vehicle (BEV) van to market in 2010 for commercial use, a small BEV sedan developed jointly with Magna International by 2011 and a PHEV by 2012.
Charging up tomorrow’s technology today
Drivers of the demonstration Ford Escape PHEV will make far fewer trips to the gas station. It uses common household current (120 volts) for charging, with a full charge of the battery completed within six to eight hours. When driven on surface streets for the first 30 miles following a full charge, the Ford Escape PHEV can achieve up to 120 mpg – roughly 4.5 times its traditional gas internal combustion engine-powered counterpart.
A fully charged Ford Escape PHEV operates in two modes, electric drive and blended electric/engine drive. It is not range-limited by the amount of charge available in the high-voltage lithium-ion battery. Once the charge in the battery has been depleted, the vehicle continues to operate as a fuel-efficient, standard Ford Escape Hybrid.
Ford aggressively delivering affordable fuel efficiency to millions of consumers.
Studies show that fuel economy is one of the most important factors for car buyers. By investing in advanced technologies and products to improve fuel efficiency over the next four years, Ford will leverage the company’s global product strengths and bring more, smaller, fuel-efficient vehicles to the U.S. market.
Ford is accelerating the introduction of more fuel-efficient vehicles – including a broader range of hybrid-electric vehicles and the introduction of plug-in hybrid and full electric vehicles. Improved fuel economy is evident in Ford’s new and upcoming vehicles:
The 2009 Ford Flex is the most fuel-efficient standard seven-passenger vehicle on the market.
The 2009 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner deliver best-in-class highway fuel economy; the hybrid versions are the most fuel-efficient utility vehicles available.
The new 2009 F-150 offers fuel economy gains as high as 12 percent versus the prior model year; the SFE package delivers unsurpassed fuel economy.
The 2009 Ford Focus delivers highway fuel economy of up to 35 mpg.
The 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan Hybrids are America’s most fuel efficient mid-size sedans; both feature SmartGauge™ with EcoGuide, a new instrument cluster execution that gives hybrid owners a more connected, fuel-efficient driving experience by coaching them on how to optimize performance.
The 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan feature the all-new fuel-efficient Duratec 2.5-liter four-cylinder gas engine.
EcoBoost engine technology, which will available on 80 percent of the lineup by 2013, will deliver up to 20 percent fuel economy savings, up to 15 percent CO2 reductions and a boost in driving enjoyment compared to larger displacement engines.
The new Transit Connect van will offer the top mileage in the segment, making it easy for small businesses and other users to increase their fuel economy.
The new Ford Fiesta will offer further improvements in fuel economy.
The new global Ford Focus will be more fuel-efficient than the current North American model through new direct injection engine technology and a new six-speed transmission.
Ford’s new 3.0-liter V-6, available on the 2009 Ford Escape, delivers more horsepower and better fuel efficiency thanks in part to a Cam Torque Actuated (CTA) intake variable cam timing (iVCT) technology.
iVCT isn’t new to powertrain, but Ford is the first to use camshaft torsional energy rather than the traditional pressurized oil to phase the camshafts. This method moves the camshafts similar to the way a hydraulic ratchet works, taking oil from one side of the phaser and channeling it to the other side, rather than draining one side and filling the other as with a traditional hydraulic system.
Benefits include:
A smaller displacement oil pump over traditional hydraulic VCT systems for lower parasitic energy loss and improved fuel economy. CTA, in the case of the Escape, reduces oil pump flow requirements by 25 percent.
CTA allows the system to work more efficiently at all engine speeds.
A CTA-based system responds more quickly than a traditional hydraulic oil actuated VCT system, improving tip-in performance feel, along with contributing to horsepower gains.
Quote: “With this technology [CTA], we are taking energy that is in your engine today – energy that was previously wasted – and using it to make an engine more efficient,” said Steve Wilkie, supervisor of Cam Drive/VCT Design for Ford Motor Company.
The popular Ford Focus bests industry segment average as most improved model.
A top industry study named Ford Focus the most improved model in the industry. The 2008 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study by J.D. Power and Associates showed that Focus gained 88 index points over last year.
With the biggest improvement score in the industry, Focus performed better across all categories with significant improvements in the areas of fuel economy, audio/entertainment/navigation, interior styling and exterior styling.
Earning a 36-index point improvement was the Ford Escape, which put the strong seller in the top 10 of most improved vehicles in the industry. Five Ford Motor Company vehicles received second or third honors in their segments:
Ford Explorer Sport Trac, 2nd place in Midsize Pickup segment
Mazda CX7, 2nd place in Compact Multi-Activity Vehicle (MAV) segment
Mazda CX9, 2nd place in Midsize MAV segment
Ford Focus, 3rd place in Compact Car segment
Lincoln Navigator, 3rd place in Large Premium MAV segment
Overall, Ford moved up five positions to 22nd, with a 14-point improvement. Lincoln checked in at 12th place and Mercury placed 29th, improving by 12 index points.
Connectivity Solutions Go Beyond Music and Phone Calls
Industry-exclusive Ford SYNC™ is a fully integrated, voice-activated in-car communications and entertainment system that works with most Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones and digital media players. Beginning later this year, SYNC will also provide accident assistance through '911 Assist,' and will be able to send customers Vehicle Health Reports on key systems to help them plan routine service appointments and alert them to critical systems issues.
One might expect this technology to be available only on luxury vehicles, but Ford SYNC will be offered on nearly every Ford and Mercury vehicle and will be standard on Lincoln vehicles in 2008. The 2009 models being added to the SYNC play list include the all-new Ford Flex and F-150; the 2009 Ford Escape, Escape Hybrid and 2009 Ford Expedition. SYNC will be standard equipment on the all-new 2009 Lincoln MKS when it launches this summer.
SYNC is Ford's platform for smarter, easily upgradeable in-car connectivity. Already, Ford is moving beyond the music and the mobile phone to master technologies that will also connect customers with the real-time information and services that they want and value while on the road.
SIRIUS Travel Link is a suite of data services that links drivers to traffic and weather information, fuel prices at nearby stations and the most up-to-date sports and entertainment news – along with a 23,000-song personal jukebox. Broadcast through SIRIUS's existing satellite and repeater infrastructure, the exclusive Travel Link feature launches in conjunction with Ford's next-generation navigation system. Watch for it first on the all-new 2009 Lincoln MKS this summer.
The new 2009 F-150 and F-Series Super Duty become true mobile offices with the Ford Work Solutions suite of technological tools for the working professional and commercial driver. In addition to hands-free mobile phone connectivity and voice-activated navigation, Work Solutions allows customers to monitor on-truck tool inventories, access and print documents and review engineering drawings from inside the cab.
Ford/Lincoln/Mercury quality increases by 8 percent and customer satisfaction up to 77 percent in GQRS study.
Ford/Lincoln/Mercury is now in statistical tie with Honda/Acura and Toyota/Lexus/Scion according to the first quarter 2008 U.S. Global Quality Research System (GQRS) study. The study, which is conducted by RDA Group of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, surveys customers of all major automotive makes and models on car troubles and asks owners to rate their overall satisfaction with their three-month-old vehicles.
With a combined average of 1,284 things-gone-wrong (TGW) per 1,000 vehicles during the first three months of ownership, Ford’s domestic brands improved 8 percent versus last year. This performance is statistically equivalent to the 1,250 TGW level of Honda/Acura and Toyota/Lexus/Scion.
Some other key findings from the GQRS report include:
Ford/Lincoln/Mercury’s customer satisfaction rating has also risen to 77 percent.
The new 2008 Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable both recorded quality levels that equate to less than one problem per vehicle, as did the Volvo S80 (947).
The Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ were close, with 1,030 TGW and 1065 TGW, respectively.
Taurus showed a 33 percent quality improvement compared with the product it replaced.
The new Ford Escape improved 16 percent over the out-going model, and the new Ford Focus improved 13 percent.
36 of 40 Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo and Mazda nameplates improved this year versus 2007.
Ford earned best-in-class honors for interiors and electrical, two important engineering functions.
Ford tied for best-in-class in two other functions, paint and vehicle engineering, which includes such areas as ride and handling and cabin quietness.
When it comes to TGW, customer satisfaction or both, a total of 15 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles ranked in the top three of their respective segments. Segment leader models are:
Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 – TGW for sports car
Ford Taurus – customer satisfaction for large car
Ford Sport Trac – customer satisfaction for medium traditional utility
Mercury Milan – TGW for midsize car
Lincoln Navigator – TGW and customer satisfaction for large premium utility
Ford’s partners with utility industry to advance plug-in hybrids.
Ford has teamed up with the independent, non-profit organization Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to develop and evaluate new Ford Escape plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), study how they would fit into the nation’s electric grid and help accelerate the introduction of the eco-friendly vehicles.
This new partnership will work in conjunction with Ford’s existing project with Southern California Edison (SCE). For SCE, Ford is building 20 Escape PHEVs for testing in the Los Angeles area. The EPRI collaboration is aimed at determining regional differences to see how PHEVs will impact the electric grid system in other regions such as the New Jersey-New York area. The accrued technical information helps develop common standards among utilities nationwide.
This type of transportation-utility initiative advances the understanding of the technologies, infrastructures, battery technology and vehicle systems required to move toward commercialization of plug-ins.
For the environment, PHEVs represent a promising electric-drive technology that can lower fuel costs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions. and play a role in the national objective of attaining energy security.
2009 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner Feature More Powerful Engines and 6-Speed Transmissions
Ford has announced that its hot-selling compact SUVs, the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner, will become more fuel-efficient, more powerful and more connected for the 2009 model year.
The new powertrains are expected to improve the 2009 Ford Escape and 2009 Mercury Mariner’s EPA estimated fuel economy by 1 mile per gallon. The all-new 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine will give customers an 11 percent increase in horsepower, to 170 horsepower and the 3.0-liter V-6 engine option receives 30 additional horsepower for a total of 230 horsepower.
The new 2.5-liter engine with intake variable cam timing (IVCT) boasts a 17-horsepower increase in output over the outgoing 2.3-liter engine. Responsive with its peak 166 ft. lb. of torque, the engine also is refined with dual-mode crankshaft damping, electronic throttle control and PowerPC engine electronic control.
The flexibility of the new, more fuel-efficient, 6-speed automatic transmission enables a longer final-drive ratio for optimal fuel economy. With the improvements, Escape and Mariner also achieve ULEV II emissions certification.
Fuel savings also come from additional design and engineering features, including:
Aerodynamic improvements including a new front fascia chin spoiler and rear tire spoilers.
A new 16-inch Michelin tire design offering improved rolling resistance, while also bringing improvements in quiet operation, steering and handling, and stopping distance.
I have been in the dry-cleaning business since 1982. Over the years I have developed a large residential pick up and delivery service. We go out four days a week to the surrounding communities, and pick up and deliver customers clothing. This service has become the corner stone of my business. I have owned a 1990 E150 window van, and most recently a 1997 E150 cargo van. Both vans were used for this service. When my 1997 van approached 200,000 miles, I started to contemplate my next delivery vehicle. My two Ford vans were dependable and spacious, but may have been ove
Getting a nation back on the road to prosperity is hard work. Rebuilding and repairing a battered infrastructure takes the right tools. As much as we like small cars, there are some jobs they just can’t do. Sometimes, you need a super capable, super tough truck to ‘getter done.” Sometimes you need a Super Duty.
I thought I\'d share my story, since I am an owner of three Ford cars currently. I bought my first Ford, a 1969 Mercury Cougar, in the summer of 1985 when I was 16. I still own it. I saved up for 5 months working at $3.35 an hour to buy the Cougar. That lasted me through high school and college, after which I lapsed and drove a 1986 Celica for 7 years.
In 2000, I bought a nice used 1997 Ford Thunderbird, which I still own and drive. It has almost 200,000 miles on it now and is still driving very well. In 2008, I decided to get another car, a new Mustang Pony Package, Vista Blue. It
When my husband and I met three years ago at our church, we immediately connected over our shared love of all things Mustang. At the time we were both driving old Ford Crown Vics, but both of us were saving to buy our very own Mustang. From that moment on, our relationship revolved around the cars—our growing collection of Mustang memorabilia (250+ pieces so far!), vacations to Auto Shows displaying our favorite Mustangs, and even the bright red 2002 Mustang Ronnie bought me when I graduated Medical Assistant School last year.
Naturally, when Ronnie and I decided to get married, both of
@NickMcLaren You'll take delivery sometime between May and Sept--timing depends on when you order at the dealer. ^EA #7 hours ago
Love this! RT @SvenskaSpark I already love everything about my Fiesta, and it's not even here yet! I feel like I'm expecting a car baby. ^EA #10 hours ago
