Ford: Japanese hogging hybrid parts

I wonder where GM is buying their hybrid parts. Supposedly they are going to bring a number of hybrid models to market in the next few years.

To me this is just another failure of the product planners and executives at US corporations. It is highly debatable whether or not hybrids really make economic sense from a strictly engineering standpoint, but clearly there are a large number of people who want hybrids for whatever reasons. On the other hand this might turn out to be another Wankel engine story. Wankels were around for yeas and nobody cared. Mazda managed to actually make them work reasonably well and suddenly GM and Ford decided they had to have them even though the engineering basis for the switch was weak at best. About the time GM was tooled up to build Wankels, the whole house of cards collapsed and GM dropped all their plans. It could happen again with hybrids or not. But that is what product planner get paid for. And it seems to me that they missed the boat this time.

Ed

GM is developing it own system, rather than paying royalty frees to Ford and Toyota. The current technology use by Toyota and Ford was developed by a Japanese electric company, is concert with Volvo and another Japanese auto make, whose name escapes me a the moment. All three companies are licensed to use that technology. When Ford acquired Volvo they gained ownership of the technology and delayed introducing the Escape to use the newer lower cost system. Toyota subsequently bought the company. Ford wanted to buy the company but was prevented from doing so by Japanese laws that prevent foreign ownership of a Japanese company. Ford has ownership rights to the technology but not the production

mike

prevent foreign ownership of a Japanese company? What about Mazda? Ford owns a majority share fo Mazda Motors. You'd think they could have acquired the technology through Mazda.

Knew I shouild have been a corporate Lawyer...

A none Japanese can own the largest number of shares in a Japanese company but the can not own the majority of shares to gain control even with other stockholders, Japanese of not. Ask Boone Pickens, who was a majority stockholder in a Japanese electronics company yet could not even get a seat on the BOD. What would Mazda have to do with a company owned by Toyota anyway?

mike

Ford doesn't actually own a majority of Mada, just a controlling interest.

Ed

: Perhaps if Ford knew how to make a quality car, the Japanese might let them : take more parts. :-)

:o) also...and how true.

I think I bought the couch in the Ford service area. A few more month there and I would have owned the deed to the joint.

B~

Aisin and it is much more than an electrics company. It is a group of companies and is part of the Toyota network of companies. But they also have joint ventures with GM and sell automatic transmissions to Ford (like the six speed automatic in the Five Hundred). Toyota has had an ownership interest in Aisin for many years. See

Ed

Didn't realize it was a Toyota shell company...

If Ford had first dibs on the parts it would be calling it good business practice. Since they don't, and they're out of the gate a bit late they want to whine about it.

That may be you opinion but it is that of a minority. Far more Americas buy Fords than any foreign vehicle, by a least two to one.

mike

Obviously, that is why they had first opportunity to buy the company that developed the hybrid technology along with Volvo and the other Japanese automaker.

mike

Life is not fair, what makes you think business competitors will be fair? LOL

mike