In Europe, Ford Needs to Highlight Fuel Economy and Technology

henry ford, ford europe, ford china, ford expansion, ford fuel economy, ford technology

Henry Ford was one of the greatest businessmen of all time. How would he grow his company? Image via Wikipedia

Despite being an American icon,  in order to succeed and continue to grow, Ford needs to expand its reach in two key areas: China and Europe.  (After all, the world is flat.)  While Ford has been growing its Asian presence relatively quickly, they have been unable to expand at the same pace in Europe.

My guess is this is mostly because Europeans have the same misconceptions about Ford that Americans used to have: they produce low quality, gas guzzling, road-hoarding vehicles.

I’ll be the first to admit I’m an American car kind of guy – specifically Ford and Dodge – so I’m a bit biased.  That being said, I think Ford can legitimately succeed in Europe.

In a great article in Motor Trend by Jake Holmes entitled To Win Over European Customers, Ford Will Highlight Vehicle Fuel Economy and Technology, Ford’s path to success is outlined

Ford currently holds just 7.5 percent of the German automotive market, whereas Volkswagen has cornered 20.8 percent of the market. To help woo European buyers into Ford showrooms, the Blue Oval will highlight the impressive fuel economy of its newest models. Sales people will be given Apple iPads filled with information on fuel-saving features of new Ford cars. In addition, the company plans to tout the fact that it builds vehicles and engines in Germany, employing about 29,000 German workers.

On top of those tenets, Ford will use technological prowess to win over drivers. Ford’s Sync connectivity system will launch in Germany in 2012, with electric and hybrid cars arriving in Europe the year after. Such systems are reportedly very important to European buyers, which partially explains why they may gravitate to Volkswagens with more tech features.

If Ford can improve its image among European customers, the company stands to improve sales as well as vehicle purchase prices. That would mean increased profits throughout the European market, assuming that buyers will be influenced by promises of fuel economy.

Seems like a pretty good plan to me!

What are your thoughts?  Think Ford will ever be able to succeed in Europe?  Leave a comment below and share this post using the buttons below!

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Government to Allow Automakers Fuel Economy Loophole on Trucks and SUVs

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The White House is thinking of letting trucks and SUVs meet their own fuel economy standardsImage via Wikipedia

Remember way back when the Federal Government was pushing extremely hard and aggressive fuel efficiency standards on automakers? Environmentalists and consumers alike generally liked the new standards, and saw them as a big step forward.

Unfortunately, as is standard in Washington, there has been some reneging.

According to an article by Josh Mitchell and Sharon Terlep in the Wall Street Journal, White House officials are allowing auto makers to somewhat circumvent the fuel economy standards:

The White House is ready to let auto makers improve the future fuel efficiency of pickups and sport utility vehicles at a slower pace than passenger cars, say people familiar with the matter, a move that would benefit Detroit manufacturers.

Officials are scrambling to reach by early next week a broad agreement on a mileage target by 2025 of 56 miles a gallon, roughly double the current level. The concession is an effort by the White House to overcome broad opposition to the mileage figure by auto makers, including General Motors Co., which is still partially owned by the U.S.

While it may appear that the U.S. Government is doing automakers a favor, Roland Hwang, in an article entitled Light Truck Loophole Bad for Pickup Drivers, Oil Dependency and Pollution, says it may actually do automakers more harm than good:

While the U.S. automakers may complain that equal treatment for light trucks is bad for their profits, the opposite is true. By allowing big pickups and other light trucks to lag behind, the Detroit 3 run the risk of falling back into the bad habit that lead them to their downfall — becoming too dependent on fuel-inefficient vehicles.

Ford’s F-150 Ecoboost engine demonstrates that even big pickups can be more fuel efficient. The 40 percent purchase rate for the F-150 Ecoboost demonstrates that pickup buyers are willing to pay more to cut their gas bills. In fact, since light trucks generally lag behind the technology of their gasoline counterparts, these vehicles can improve at an even faster rate.

Equal treatment for light trucks makes sense. It will save truck driver thousands of dollars over the life of their trucks, cut our dependency on oil, and ensure the U.S. automakers don’t fall back into their bad habits.

I can definitely see both sides of the issue, however, I have to side with Hwang. I think it is best to hold automakers’ entire fleet accountable to the new fuel economy standards, not just vehicles that are more apt to meet the standards. Oil and gasoline are only going to get more expensive, so the less we can use the better, both in terms of the environment and our bank accounts.

What do you think? Leave your comments below!

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