Sky's the limit: Trucks get more refined, expensive - Monitor

Today’s top-of-the-line trucks have heated steering wheels, heated and cooled seats, and aluminum wheels, along with all of the latest high-tech features such as rear-view cameras and blind spot monitoring systems — not to mention enough chrome... Every time automakers roll out a higher-level truck they discover there is even more demand than they anticipated, leading executives to predict the industry will continue to push the limit. In 2014, what a consumer paid for a car or truck sold in the U. S. hit a record high average of $32,386, a 17. 5 percent increase compared with 2004, according to Edmunds. com , while the average transaction prices for the entire pickup segment has risen to $40,696 over the same period, a 41. 3 percent increase. Doug Scott, Ford’s truck group marketing manager, said many of the customers who are paying $50,000 or more for a pickup are paying even more for the horses or horse trailers that the truck is being used to tow. “I think we can go higher,” Scott said. With no apparent limit to demand or a ceiling for a top-end price, it’s not surprising to see automakers continuing to pursue more sales with ever more luxurious trucks. The profit margin for the average pickup truck is about $10,000 and it’s much higher for the higher priced models. Scott acknowledged that it doesn’t cost much, in terms of product development or engineering, to pick out higher quality materials and tech features and add them to the already existing manufacturing process. Source: www.themonitor.com