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What do you bet some bean counters in the auto insurance industry are calculating the cost of insuring a vehicle that might be more expensive to insure against body damage.
What do you bet some bean counters in the auto insurance industry are calculating the cost of insuring a vehicle that might be more expensive to insure against body damage.
Oh don't worry, Actuaries LIVE for that kind of stuff!
I am impressed with 700lbs of weight reduction. Almost all vehicles today could use a diet. And Ford took a bold step to trim the weight without downsizing the truck.
GM may have won TOTY this year, but I imagine there are some sweaty palms at the Renaissance Center right now. With the new Ram coming out in the next year or so, GM is already talking about "dusting off" the 4.5L diesel program that was shelved during the financial crisis. I don't think anyone was expecting the F-150 to shed 700 lbs, and it will catch GM a little flat-footed with the recently released Silverado and Sierra.
Greater use of aluminum in vehicles is inevitable with upcoming CAFE targets. Ford has already mentioned taking what they learned with the F-150 and incorporating more aluminum in future SUVs and cars. The new F-150 is a catalyst not just for the truck segment, but also for the entire industry.
While GM and Chrysler have some catching up to do with the Silverado, Sierra, and Ram, they have enough truck volume to justify eventual adoption of aluminum. The question is what will happen to the Tundra and especially the Titan. Ford sells enough F-150s that its $10,000/vehicle margins can take a short-term hit to subsidize the switch, but Toyota and Nissan will likely have to divert funds from other programs because their volume is too low to support the investment. I could see Nissan killing the Titan altogether, and I could see Toyota letting this generation Tundra ride out into the sunset and then putting future investment into the Tacoma. Lately, the Tacoma has had it easy in the mid-size segment with the death of the Ranger and Dakota and previously noncompetitive GM twins. The new Colorado and Canyon will assert new pressure, and the Tacoma is a name Toyota will want to protect.
As for the worries about cost, durability, or stamping issues, it's not like Ford is new to stamping aluminum. My '01 LS V8 has an aluminum hood, trunk, and front and rear quarter panels, and 130,000 miles later they have held up well. Ford has stated the aluminum panels on the F-150 will be more durable and ding resistant than current steel panels. Ford is going to do whatever it takes to ensure their sales king and cash cow's reputation remains intact; I don't see them taking this kind of risk only to cut corners in the process. Ford also has the volume to ensure they spread the costs around, which should keep the MSRP in line with the current model.
Great time to be a Ford shareholder and a truck buyer in general.
GM may have won TOTY this year, but I imagine there are some sweaty palms at the Renaissance Center right now. With the new Ram coming out in the next year or so, GM is already talking about "dusting off" the 4.5L diesel program that was shelved during the financial crisis. I don't think anyone was expecting the F-150 to shed 700 lbs, and it will catch GM a little flat-footed with the recently released Silverado and Sierra.
Greater use of aluminum in vehicles is inevitable with upcoming CAFE targets. Ford has already mentioned taking what they learned with the F-150 and incorporating more aluminum in future SUVs and cars. The new F-150 is a catalyst not just for the truck segment, but also for the entire industry.
While GM and Chrysler have some catching up to do with the Silverado, Sierra, and Ram, they have enough truck volume to justify eventual adoption of aluminum. The question is what will happen to the Tundra and especially the Titan. Ford sells enough F-150s that its $10,000/vehicle margins can take a short-term hit to subsidize the switch, but Toyota and Nissan will likely have to divert funds from other programs because their volume is too low to support the investment. I could see Nissan killing the Titan altogether, and I could see Toyota letting this generation Tundra ride out into the sunset and then putting future investment into the Tacoma. Lately, the Tacoma has had it easy in the mid-size segment with the death of the Ranger and Dakota and previously noncompetitive GM twins. The new Colorado and Canyon will assert new pressure, and the Tacoma is a name Toyota will want to protect.
As for the worries about cost, durability, or stamping issues, it's not like Ford is new to stamping aluminum. My '01 LS V8 has an aluminum hood, trunk, and front and rear quarter panels, and 130,000 miles later they have held up well. Ford has stated the aluminum panels on the F-150 will be more durable and ding resistant than current steel panels. Ford is going to do whatever it takes to ensure their sales king and cash cow's reputation remains intact; I don't see them taking this kind of risk only to cut corners in the process. Ford also has the volume to ensure they spread the costs around, which should keep the MSRP in line with the current model.
Great time to be a Ford shareholder and a truck buyer in general.
One thing (not necessarily on here) a lot of people don't realize is that the frame itself is a high strength steel. Ford is not going to take any chances on its best selling vehicle (and one of the best selling vehicles in America) and make it a weak truck. Chevy and Dodge are making awesome trucks now as well and the new F150 will have to remain a strong truck. The aluminum is supposed to be a high strength aluminum
Like someone else already mentioned, there are already a lot of large luxury cars that are mostly aluminum now... I can't recall, but is it the big Audi A8 that is all aluminum?
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