Ford has decided not to join in the hunt for the next great thing, the plug-in hybrid car. Executives at Ford have decided to adopt a wait and see attitude on this new car.
With questions about how many are going to buy into it, who can actually use it (for instance, how are you going to plug your car in if you live in NYC?), and how much it's going to cost to develop it, Ford has opted to let GM and Toyota pave the way.
Of course, it's not surprising that they are going this route. Ever since they backed off their promise to on hybrid cars, Ford has taken a more conservative approach. Sounding more like Nissan executive Ghosn, Ted Miller, Ford's senior manager of energy storage said "If customers aren't buying them, we're not making them. If there's going to be a true plug-in hybrid market, we're going to be there. It's just that that's a huge commitment to actually go to production."
So that leaves the Chevy Volt and the Toyota Prius Plug-in as the main contenders in the race to plug in. It wasn't likely at this point that Ford could have gotten into the game and come out as a winner. As Toyota could point out (and as GM has said), not developing a Prius-like vehicle was a mistake. Could Ford be making a mistake?
Monday, June 30, 2008
Ford Backs Out of Plug-In Arena. That Leaves Just Toyota and GM in the Ring
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