Ford Model E May Be Built In Mexico

Ford is gearing up to build its Model E at a new factory in Mexico, according to reports. Ford claimed the Model E name back in 2013, which caused Tesla’s Elon Musk a great deal of emotional distress. Musk has long thought the entire Tesla model line up would consist of cars named S, E, X, and Y. He was mightily annoyed when he found out Ford had the rights to Model E, accusing Ford of trying to “kill sex.” Tesla has every opportunity to claim the name for itself but failed to act quickly enough.

Ford C Max Hybrid. Photo credit: Digital Trends

Not much is known about the new Ford car except that it will be built on an all new chassis designed from the ground up to be powered by a battery and an electric motor. Industry sources claim it will also accommodate hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains. If so, it will be the second company to offer a full range of alternative fuel vehicles built on a common chassis. The new Hyundai Ioniq was the first. Reportedly, Honda plans to offer a battery electric and a plug-in hybrid car based on the same chassis as its fuel cell powered Clarity.

It is important for manufacturers to make the platform they build their cars on as adaptable as possible. Not only does that lower development costs, it also allows the factory to adapt quickly to changes in the marketplace. If customers want more plug-ins or battery cars, the production mix can be altered quickly to meet demand. Ford does have a few hybrid and  plug-in hybrid models, but they are now almost 8 years old and overdue for a refresh. It may be cheaper for Ford to build one chassis for many cars rather than re-engineer its existing alternative fuel models.

The new Ford plant in Mexico was the focus of controversy last week. Presidential candidate Donald Trump assailed the plan as slap in the face to American workers. “This transaction is an absolute disgrace. Our dishonest politicians and the special interests that control them are laughing in the face of all American citizens. When I am president, we will strongly enforce trade rules against unfair foreign subsidies, and impose countervailing duties to prevent egregious instances of outsourcing.” Trump apparently feels he will not be bound by annoying details like international treaties.

According to Digital Trends, the new factory will have a capacity of 300,000 cars annually. At present, Ford thinks about 50,000 of them will be Model E’s. It will shift production of the Focus to the Mexican plant when it begins production in 2019. The Model E is billed as a “Prius fighter,” although with Prius sales falling dramatically in this time of low gas prices, Ford may be a little late getting into the hybrid game.

The End OF Mexico’s VW Bug Cabs

Mexico and Volkswagen (VW) are strange bedfellows. Whether it’s pushing a VW Bus off an assembly line or building a classic VW Bug Type 1s up until 2003, Mexico and Mexico City love Volkswagen, especially as cabs. While it remains to be seen if 2012 will be the end of humanity, the year 2012 will be the end of the VW Beetle Taxicab of Mexico.

Mexico City’s Director of Taxi Services has declared that the VW Taxi Cab “has concluded its useful life.”

Mexico City is crowded, a population of more that 20 million people. This means a lot of vehicles on the roads and high pollution. With an effort to counter the pollution problem, Mexico City has laws on the books that say that no taxi can be older than eight years. With the latest Beetles being built in Mexico during the tail end of 2002 and production stopping in 2003, that eight year time limit has come and gone for the loved Beetle cabs filling the roads of Mexico. A two year time extension was put into effect in 2010 to give taxi drivers and companies a chance to update their fleets. Now that time extension has come to an end and no new time extension is in sight.

The overall impact of removing the Bugs from the streets of Mexico is not all that dramatic, over the years the number of VW Bug cabs in Mexico has dwindled. Currently there are around 3,500 of VW Bug cabs left in action, while most new public taxis are modern Renault-Based Nissan Platina or the second or third generation Nissan Sentras. We’ve always said that the greenest car is one that is already on the road, but after almost 80 years of production, the VW Beetle is long overdue for replacement.

VW Beetle production started in Mexico in the 1950s with Beetles put into service not only as taxicabs but as police squad cars, military vehicles, and utility vehicles. With the VW cabs Mexican run coming to a close in 2012 it truly is a testament to a classic, rugged, little car that is beloved the world over.

Source: Gas2.0