Ford
Earlier this month, we detailed Nissan's latest salvo in the electric car wars: the announcement that it has begun taking orders for its all-electric Leaf sedan, and will be selling this totally novel techno-buggy for as little as $25,000. Reading the news -- knowing that GM's Volt was already on the way, that Tesla's electric roadster was already road-ready, and that it, Ford, was falling ever further behind -- the boys and girls from Dearborn gritted their teeth and did the unthinkable: They took up Nissan's gauntlet and announced the electric Focus would be price competitive with the Leaf.
Problem solved?
Ford's bold move may have kept it in the running for a share of the green greenbacks. It may have persuaded some folks to hold off on buying a Volt or Leaf to see whether Ford's offering might be the better deal. But now Ford faces a new threat.
Over in China, Berkshire Hathaway
Time to find the accelerator
Ford's made some savvy alliances of its own in recent days, expanding its partnership with Microsoft
However, by combining Chinese cheapness with German engineering, Daimler-BYD could pose a serious threat to Ford's electric Focus. This makes it more urgent than ever that Ford grab an early lead in the electric market, before further threats appear in the form of high-volume rivals Honda
Because the Chinese are coming. And the Germans have got their back.