GM & Ford Delay 1/2 Ton Diesel Trucks

[onewhippedpuppy]

Programs put on hold because of current low fuel costs. Glad to see they haven't learned their lesson.

http://blogs.edmunds.com/straightline/2009/03/gm-delays-new-45-liter-duramax-v8.html
http://blogs.edmunds.com/straightline/2009/05/ford-holding-off-on-light-duty-diesel-for-f-150.html

[pavulon]

conserving their way into prosperity....I'm sure it will work well for them!!!

[speeder]

Unbelieveable. Freaking unbelieveable. The truck buying public has shown that they will pay $6k extra for a TDI motor in any PU truck that it's offered in even when diesel was $1.50 a gallon!!! (In the '90s).

The current management should be taken out back and shot, then replaced by a bunch of frogs or Lithuanians.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Considering how they fell flat on their face during the last few years of $4/gal gas, you'd think they would want to be prepared. Obviously that shortsighted thinking is working out well for them.

It's very amusing to me that GM invested what I assume was a huge sum of money to develop a hybrid truck/SUV drivetrain, but a new diesel motor is too much money. A hybrid drivetrain that's only worth 2 MPG on the highway, hurts towing and performance, and is so expensive that nobody is buying them.

[911boost]

That news is so aggrevating. Part of the plan when I bought the 6.0L Excursion was to drive it for a number of years while the 2010 Duramax Suburbans went down in value.

Looks like I will be keeping the Ford. Which I really like btw.

Bill

[onewhippedpuppy]

Bill, trucks like the Excursion are exactly why diesels make so much sense. You probably get about 20 MPG on the highway, right? A monster SUV can get 20 MPG with a diesel, while smaller SUVs (Expedition, Tahoe, etc) get 15 MPG. 25% improvement in MPG, better towing, better performance, it's easily a no-brainer.

This crap aggravates me to no end. I wish Toyota would bring over their nearly 30 MPG diesel Hilux (Tacoma) as well.

[kaisen]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Considering how they fell flat on their face during the last few years of $4/gal gas, you'd think they would want to be prepared. Obviously that shortsighted thinking is working out well for them.

It's very amusing to me that GM invested what I assume was a huge sum of money to develop a hybrid truck/SUV drivetrain, but a new diesel motor is too much money. A hybrid drivetrain that's only worth 2 MPG on the highway, hurts towing and performance, and is so expensive that nobody is buying them.

Well, they aren't in a position to spend the billions it takes to get it the rest of the way. Long term, it is something they really, really want to do. But they have to prioritize their projects.

Even Nissan, Toyota, and Honda are pulling back their diesel projects.

[911boost]

You are correct. If I added a chip and did a couple of other mods I could get a little better mileage, but the 6.0L is pretty much maxed out from the factory, unlike the early 7.3L's.

I get much better mileage in this than I did in my Tahoe, and it is significantly larger. I have more room behind the thrid row, than I did behind the second row in Tahoe.

Not to mention I can't even tell my camper and dirt bike trailer are even hooked up.

Bill

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by kaisen

Well, they aren't in a position to spend the billions it takes to get it the rest of the way. Long term, it is something they really, really want to do. But they have to prioritize their projects.

Even Nissan, Toyota, and Honda are pulling back their diesel projects.

Can they afford to be late to this game as well? Where was this option when GM spent the money to develop their worthless hybrid truck/SUV platform?

[kaisen]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Can they afford to be late to this game as well? Where was this option when GM spent the money to develop their worthless hybrid truck/SUV platform?

They can barely afford to be in the game at all!

Remember, hybrid was high-profile, and GM, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW all partnered in the two-mode hybrid technology that underpins the full-sized truck hybrids you scoff at. GM invested, but didn't foot the entire bill.

GM and Ford have bothed poured significant investment into smaller displacement V6 and V8 diesels for 1/2 ton trucks. GM was/is near production-ready.

But you still need to build the plant and pay for the tooling. Money GM certainly doesn't have, and Ford has wisely chosen not to spend.

Despite what enthusiasts and die-hard diesel fans believe, entering diesel market isn't very profitable.

[legion]

This thread assumes that management is still running these companies.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by kaisen

Despite what enthusiasts and die-hard diesel fans believe, entering diesel market isn't very profitable.

Perhaps you're right, but I find it hard to believe that a 25+ MPG truck or SUV would not sell. Especially when gas goes back up (not if, when).

[VincentVega]

I wonder if offering a smaller, more real world diesel truck would hurt the 1 ton sales. I know many use 1 ton trucks instead of larger mid size version, would the same thing happen with a diesel 1/2 ton?

What would the diesel option cost? For the average user it's still a long payoff, assuming several k more for diesel vs. gas.

[kaisen]

Profitability is revenue less expense, right? The question is how long will it take to ammortize the tremendous up-front expense.

The real trouble comes when the industry still sells the same units, but just a different mix (less gas but more diesel). Now they aren't winning at all.

If one manufacturer (say Ford or Toyota) offers a diesel, it will force the others to play. But right now, all four of the full-size-truck manufacturers are happy the others are playing the waiting game.

Joe Public is the one that is losing out.