Apart from everything else, it isn’t unusual for industrial R&D centers to sell for far less than they cost to build.  The construction cost generally includes lab facilities that slowly lose their value.  Last R&D center my employer closed was worth so little by the end that it was simply bulldozed.

That’s a good question.  The Ford family still runs the show, so they don’t need to respond to Wall Street’s quarterly demands.

Ford doesn’t need investment.  They have plenty of cash and are making plenty of money.   There’s no reason to issue more shares, and their bonds, while barely investment grade, are at reasonable rates 

Those insurance rates are obscene.

I carry millions in coverage, so I’m hardly underinsured. If I swapped my 2010 Mazda6 for a 2018 Mazda6, my bill would go up $37.26 per year. That gives some idea of the increase in rates for a newer car.  If instead of the 2018 Mazda6, I chose a 2018 Nissan Leaf, my bill would go up…

Neutral:

The answer depends entirely upon charging time.

If the range is 100 miles and you can recharge in 2 minutes, that would probably be fine with most people.

If the range is 200 miles and you can recharge in 5 minutes, I’d bet most people would be happy.

If the range is 600 miles or more, you could probably push…

What EV has ever sold for more than its manufacturing cost?  No maker yet has ever made money selling EVs.

They might be - but the seats in the wagons are much higher quality than the garbage wanna be stuff they put in the commercial ones - so don’t go overestimating the cost of ripping the minimalistic seats out.

But Ford seems to be doing ok on profits....

Somewhere I saw a review for the TCW that was hillarious - they took other reviews and simply trashed them. For example, one review had claimed that the TCW was unacceptable because of a lack of an entertainment system for the kids. This review took that and just ridiculed it by pointing out the enormous windows…

I agree.

Ford’s biggest problem with the TCW, IMO, is pricing. They’ve got it priced high and people don’t even look at it as a result. But the discounts are often steep, making it a bargain.

For example, if I look at an Odyssey LX over at truecar vs a TCW, the MSRPs imply a price difference of on the order of $2,000.…

This isn’t correct. Ford got the loan after they were profitable again, and they’ve been repaying it on schedule, with interest.

You’re a little misled here.

Ford took a loan through the DOE’s advanced vehicle program (it isn’t a “guise” - they had to prove those funds were used for efficiency purposes, just like Tesla and Nissan did) .Those funds weren’t even disbursed until after Ford had returned to profitability ($879 million quarterly…

Bridges don’t always win...

The solution then is to put speed humps on the road and then one of these bars just in front of the bridge - slow traffic down so that they have time to stop if they hit the bar.

Second this...

I pass through this all the time - sharp turn right on the other side of the underpass.... There are signs for a mile to the west and better part of half a mile to the east saying no trucks allowed. Flashing lights, multiple signs, etc.

At least once a month some fool tries to go through in a semi or…

Note to your point: Always check prepayment penalties.

Because imagine if you could afford $750 a month, and the car was $20k with private financing at 2.9% for 36 months or 19.1k with dealer financing at 5.9% for 36 months. Payments through the dealer would be $580.19 vs $580.74 for private financing. Total savings…

P-51?  Never used by the Navy - that would be sacrilege...  

Is there any other option, really?

Do they actually care with the TC Wagon, though?

They’re selling the commercial ones just fine - and they may be pulling a Mazda5 with the TC Wagon - don’t advertise it, but you have it available anyway, so just import it and soak up a little spare capacity - take the sales you can at the profit you can and run with…

Explain what bailout you think they took....

I agree that the Focus, Fiesta, and Taurus are well past their prime. The Fusion, though, would have just been scheduled for an update this year, and is still a competitive vehicle. With the 2019s getting a plethora of new features, it still competitive, though the styling could use a redo.

I would have preferred them…