Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F), after reporting a profit on the back of debt reductions and aggressive cost cutting, (it's still losing money manufacturing vehicles), does have many things going its way these days. For one, it's the only domestic automaker left in the U.S. that's solvent; and, without government aid to boot. Another bragging point: the automaker sincerely looks like it is trying to go as green as possible by ramping up fuel efficiency and heavily promoting those vehicles over gas hoggers.But it's going a step further now: Ford wants to improve fuel efficiency on its entire global fleet of vehicles. In other words, Ford wants to take this time and pounce while its two U.S. competitors are on their backs, re-inventing themselves.
Ford even called its 2010 auto lineup the "freshest" in history. If Ford can continue doing what it has been doing and make its cars and trucks fuel efficient with new designs and innovative engineering, it will become the largest of the "Big 3" for a long time to come. To even mention the "Big 3" seems ludicrous to many, but Ford would love to be at the top of that pile.
Ford CEO Alan Mulally, who earned his chops in the aerospace business before heading to Ford, called the transformation of the company he now leads as "phenomenal" during 2009. Ford's EcoBoost engine will be a centerpiece in Ford's green strategy that will give V8 performance in a V6 engine (along with V6 fuel efficiency). And, that's not even counting its hard push into smaller cars and hybrids like the Ford Escape and Ford Focus.
EcoBoost will even come to four-cylinder engines in 2010. Mulally indicated that "in tough times, we kept investing" -- and that is now paying off (and will continue to). How do you feel about Ford's future prospects? If you own Ford shares, sound off below and let me know what you think.
Nuclear power is on the comeback trail
Apple backs AT&T in continuing spat with Verizon
Closing Bell: The recession is still over, still... do you feel it?
Add your comments