Ford Motor Co. (F)

All Comments on F

  • commenter
    Jul 03 01:34 PM
    Some Consequences if Oil Prices Stay High [view article]
    Sad Oil Git - Re Nuclear Waste - Do you realize there are often volcanos in that ring of fire around the techtonic plate edges? And mountain building goes on around techtonic plates - it could end up on top of or inside a mountain - what a great waterfall that would be. And do you really want to gamble that the waste will have made it down to the magma before a volcano erupts? Now that could be an interesting volcanic eruption if it included nuclear waste. That volcanic ash cloud could circle the globe in a short time. And those old familiar claims that we can bury the waste deep enough not to reappear in the ground water - I don't want to drink any of the "spring water" from that area - do you? Reply
  • commenter
    Jul 03 01:29 PM
    Global Battery Equity Index [view article]
    You definitely want EnerDel (HEV) in there. Reply
  • commenter
    Jul 03 12:57 PM
    Challenge for Ford and GM: To Stay in Business [view article]
    Well Michael Shedlock has all the answers doesn't he. Ford and GM should have seen this coming, right?

    Well, Mr. Shedlock, you should also report that in the labor negotiations last fall (that's right, only about eight months ago) Ford proposed to the UAW that it would close the plant that makes the 35MPG Focus because sales were so dismal. The two sides agreed to new terms to keep the plant open. Now, of course, it is running maximum overtime on two shifts and will soon move to three shifts.

    Truck plants are the inverse with $4 gas.

    Mr. Shedlock similarly does not report that the vaunted Toyota is also losing money in the US as its Tundra pickup, Sequoia SUV and Sienna Minivan sales have fallen apart. Indeed, it's TX plant is running at about 70% of capacity and its IN plant is at 45% of capacity.

    Weak article, poorly researched.

    Reply
  • commenter
    Jul 03 12:14 PM
    Some Consequences if Oil Prices Stay High [view article]
    As the market continues to go down, shipping, which used to be a safe haven, now looks like it may be subject to a downward trend. Here's a pretty good podcast that discusses what to during this down market and what's going on with coal, steel, bulk shipping, and agriculture.

    the main idea is that individual investors dont have to act like institutional investors and this market and may be better holding cash than trying to beat the market.
    www.greenfaucet.com/sh...
    Reply
  • commenter
    Jul 03 11:48 AM
    Auto Sales Dismal: GM and Chrysler Oddly Optimistic [view article]
    The Chrysler thing is sad for me. I became a Chrysler man after reading IACOCA and still love the ability to get fault codes by simply turning the key on, off, on, off, on. I've fixed so many little problems on high mileage cars this way. And our 2001 300m is still a joy to drive even with 135k miles. And it has been completely trouble free. I even had it to 130 mph in eastern Montana a few times and it was really great!

    But their small car (neon) was a textbook lemon, and we drove their convertible in Hawaii a couple of months ago. That thing is a pig. It makes our 300, which is bigger and more powerful, feel like it handles like a sports car, even with original shocks!

    The new challenger is something I drool over but, ultimately, it is just a car. It was a good run and they made some great stuff and some absolute dogs. I mainly drive my Scion xBox to work and band gigs anyway so I won'd shed a tear over this, except for the workers...
    Reply
  • commenter
    Jul 03 11:42 AM
    My Website
    Some Consequences if Oil Prices Stay High [view article]
    The market is already reacting. PCAR is down about 30% and BNI is up about 10% YTD. Reply
  • commenter
    Jul 03 11:06 AM
    Is There Any Hope for the Big Three Auto Makers? [view article]
    For any of a wide variety of reasons, our government can't afford to allow our domestic auto manufacturers to fail. So we will very possibly see more bailouts like the one that took place several years ago at Chrysler.

    The bigger question remains... What are they going to do with the rest of our busted economy unless they change their attitude toward domestic energy production, and QUICKLY...?
    Reply
  • commenter
    Jul 03 10:49 AM
    Challenge for Ford and GM: To Stay in Business [view article]
    I just returned from France, where I rented a Renault Clio (157 inches long) and drove more than 400 miles on France's extremely well maintained highways (for which I paid a lot in tolls). Regular gas (95 octane) was 1.60 euros per liter, which works out to about $9.50/gallon at the current exchange rate. I paid more for the fuel than for the car rental, even at 31 mpg (I did the conversion from liters/km). The price of fuel is comparable in other western European countries -- both Ford and GM have a major presence in the UK and Germany, and sell fuel-efficient (and very small) cars there that they don't offer in the US. Maybe they should think about balancing the Tahoe and the Excursion with some of these vehicles; they might sell better than GM would expect, particularly in major cities like Boston, Seattle and San Francisco. They wouldn't have to offer them in every dealership, since there is probably no market for such vehicles in Houston or Montana. These moves might not save Ford and GM from bankruptcy, but they would give potential car buyers some additional alternatives if and when they check out a showroom. Reply
  • commenter
    Jul 03 09:46 AM
    Global Battery Equity Index [view article]
    Great Analysis. However, I would add LG Chem from S Korea and Continental from Germany because those are two of the publicly traded companies that are known to be in the running to supply batteries to GM for its upcoming entry. Reply
  • commenter
    Jul 03 09:44 AM
    Challenge for Ford and GM: To Stay in Business [view article]
    If GM and Ford seriously sat down and met the fuel rule, they might finally be ahead of the curve instead of way behind. By dragging their feet, and trying to lower the bar, all they are doing is fooling themselves. Consumers will choose better, not worse fuel efficiency, as the market can attest to. GM and Ford are sadly mistaken if they think they have a choice in this. In that case, the sooner they go, the better. Reply
  • commenter
    Jul 03 09:40 AM
    Some Consequences if Oil Prices Stay High [view article]
    we have known since 1973 (or earlier) that there is nothing more efficient than a steel wheel on a steel rail. nevertheless - thanks to d.d.eisenhower and the trucking industry lobby we use rubber tires. remember the 1920's in los angeles - they had the best interurban light rail system in the country, then these were bought up by union oil, genaral motors & firestone acting in concert, the rails were torn up & sold for scrap (the nipponese needed the iron to make bombs for china) & the system was replaced by stinky diesel buses. in 1967 we had the w&od railway in my neighborhood, a nice little freight carrying commuter railroad, but then the rails were torn up & sold for scrap & the right of way became a powerline r.o.w. so - shortsightedness never ends.
    > jack
    Reply
  • commenter
    Jul 03 09:28 AM
    My Website
    Global Battery Equity Index [view article]
    Jack, for whatever reason JCI isn't listed under BBergs Batteries/Battery Systems classification. It could be because of their diversified product base and would probably fall under the auto parts classification. Reply
  • commenter
    Jul 03 09:06 AM
    Global Battery Equity Index [view article]
    i looked for johnson controls in your list but didn't see it.
    > jack
    Reply
  • commenter
    Jul 03 09:05 AM
    My Website
    Global Battery Equity Index [view article]
    You may want to include ultra and super capacitor companies in the index. they are small now but will have an important role to play in the future, due to the ability to rapidly cycle and support multiple deep discharges. The materials science of energy density is making great strides. Reply
  • commenter
    Jul 03 08:43 AM
    Some Consequences if Oil Prices Stay High [view article]
    Actually I think burying deep into the lithosphere on the edge of a convergent tectonic plate is the best bet. That will eventually send it into the Earth's core where it came from. Plus it will give all the out-of-work drilling companies something to do when we run out of oil. Reply

Trading Center