Met the Ford team today + charging tips from Donna Dickson (Mach-E Chief Engineer)

[generaltso]

I suppose in a legaleze sense you are correct... but as you point out it was implied.

In a legal sense they don't promise OTA any more than they promise that the brakes will work. However, the intent was clearly implied including content and dates... What they implied matters.

I have to admit I am puzzled with the defense of Fords OTA rollout here.

I'm not defending their OTA rollout. I'm just trying to keep things accurate. People keep saying that Ford promised this or that. I have never heard them use that word, so I'm just wondering why people keep using it.

Sponsored

 

[Blue highway]

I'm not defending their OTA rollout. I'm just trying to keep things accurate. People keep saying that Ford promised this or that. I have never heard them use that word, so I'm just wondering why people keep using it.

You don't have to use the word promise to mean a promise... that's why.

 

[zhackwyatt]

Ford Press Release in April 2021
https://media.ford.com/content/ford...road-trips-bluecruise-hands-free-driving.html

• 2021 Ford F-150 and 2021 Mustang Mach-E vehicles equipped with the available Ford Co-Pilot360™ Active 2.0 Prep Package can receive BlueCruise later this year through over-the-air software update.

Don't forget this one.
https://www.macheforum.com/site/thr...ting-q1-q2-2022-for-21my-job-1-mach-es.13872/

 

[generaltso]

You don't have to use the word promise to mean a promise... that's why.

Yet people keep using it.

 

[Mach1E]

You don't have to use the word promise to mean a promise... that's why.

This literally sounds like my kids sometimes.

I say “maybe” and they come back later with “but your promised!!!!”

Can we go swimming today? Maybe if we have time….

Expect delays….. continued global pandemic and all. There’s very good reason Ford (and everyone) isn’t “promising” specific timelines. They use terms like “ETA,” and “sometime late fall,” etc.

 

[Haven]

I wonder how the release of the F-150 Lightening will impact support for the Mach-e? Two possibilities I see:
1. Support and development resources will be centered on the shiny new toy and Mach-e will get less attention.
2. Another possibility is that there could be an economy of scale and some things like additional trained support personnel and software improvements for the Lightning will make their way to the Mach-e.

After having worked at Ford in IT (not in vehicle systems) but other Agile teams, I know they were using Agile development and had very mature Agile teams when I left a few years back. I suspect they will prioritize to work on the most critical stuff across both vehicles from a customers view point. For much of this year, there are more MME customers than Lightning so that will tilt toward MME until there are more Lightning customers or a Lightning issue has a higher pain point vs MME issue. Number of customers will be one factor as it is never black and white. Those that have worked with and on Agile teams will be familiar with this kind of thinking and approach.

Some systems will be shared (battery, Sync, etc. perhaps) and both vehicles will benefit from enhancements/fixes with shared systems. They will organize agile teams around systems and not vehicles if I had to bet. Granted there will be some systems that are vehicle specific and The Lightning will have added resources to launch the Lightning and stabilize. Lightning will have the benefit of the MME experience for the organization so I suspect it will be better.

Sorry frunk button isn’t deemed as critical when you have a good workaround and there are other items more pressing. Agile is to focus on the critical few things and do them right, whether enhancements or fixes. Bluecruise is late, battery needs enhancements as it’s not as competitive as recent released vehicles, not all existing MME are up to date with OTA, and they will want launch of Lightning to go better based on the experience they learned with MME. Those I bet are some of their high level priorities.

All this is my opinion but based on how Ford IT was using Agile teams a few years ago.

 

[samev]

I saw a post that if you enter an 8 after entering your door code the frunk opens

Speaking of door codes, ain't it concerning that every car comes with a unique 5-digit door code that can never be erased? I know you can add your own modifiable code, but the fact there is a permanent one just makes it easier for a persevering thief to unlock your car by typing in the correct one at some point. In fact, having your own custom codes just increases that probability.

Do most folks try to cover the panel with their other hand when punching in the code, say, when a stranger is looking over your shoulder?

 

[Gullwingdmc]

Sorry frunk button isn’t deemed as critical when you have a good workaround and there are other items more pressing

I totally get that it’s not critical, but how in the 8 updates that are in Early Access testing did they not put that in? How hard is that update to just push out. Seems like it would be simple to put the software that’s being shipped on new cars on that module.

 

[RonTCat]

After having worked at Ford in IT (not in vehicle systems) but other Agile teams, I know they were using Agile development and had very mature Agile teams when I left a few years back. I suspect they will prioritize to work on the most critical stuff across both vehicles from a customers view point. For much of this year, there are more MME customers than Lightning so that will tilt toward MME until there are more Lightning customers or a Lightning issue has a higher pain point vs MME issue. Number of customers will be one factor as it is never black and white. Those that have worked with and on Agile teams will be familiar with this kind of thinking and approach.

Some systems will be shared (battery, Sync, etc. perhaps) and both vehicles will benefit from enhancements/fixes with shared systems. They will organize agile teams around systems and not vehicles if I had to bet. Granted there will be some systems that are vehicle specific and The Lightning will have added resources to launch the Lightning and stabilize. Lightning will have the benefit of the MME experience for the organization so I suspect it will be better.

Sorry frunk button isn’t deemed as critical when you have a good workaround and there are other items more pressing. Agile is to focus on the critical few things and do them right, whether enhancements or fixes. Bluecruise is late, battery needs enhancements as it’s not as competitive as recent released vehicles, not all existing MME are up to date with OTA, and they will want launch of Lightning to go better based on the experience they learned with MME. Those I bet are some of their high level priorities.

All this is my opinion but based on how Ford IT was using Agile teams a few years ago.

This whole post is pretty much it. You will see a frunk button this year only because there were public statements about it. It would not make the cut in the Agile world.

 

[RickMachE]

"can receive“ it says. Not “may receive“.

You're supposed to under promise and over deliver, not over promise and undeliver....

And yeah I said PROMISE. Jim Farley said, in a financial call, that it would be rolled out this quarter. If Ford doesn't get it done in the next 15 days, it will be noticed by customers and financial analysts.

 

[RonTCat]

After reading through almost all these posts, Ford can defend all claims but one: OTA BlueCruise in 2021.

The wording on this claim is straightforward, and was unambiguously not met.

You are getting one year free BlueCruise for that broken promise.

No other promises were broken. That one was.

 

[Mach1E]

Speaking of door codes, ain't it concerning that every car comes with a unique 5-digit door code that can never be erased? I know you can add your own modifiable code, but the fact there is a permanent one just makes it easier for a persevering thief to unlock your car by typing in the correct one at some point. In fact, having your own custom codes just increases that probability.

Do most folks try to cover the panel with their other hand when punching in the code, say, when a stranger is looking over your shoulder?

No thief is that patient.

They look for unlocked cars or break the window.

Anywhere I would be with my car and strangers, I have my phone or key fob.

 

[generaltso]

This whole post is pretty much it. You will see a frunk button this year only because there were public statements about it. It would not make the cut in the Agile world.

That doesn’t bode well for an increase in usable battery capacity.

 

[zhackwyatt]

And yeah I said PROMISE. Jim Farley said, in a financial call, that it would be rolled out this quarter. If Ford doesn't get it done in the next 15 days, it will be noticed by customers and financial analysts.

Actually no. They promised it would be begin rolling out in Q1. It has, people have received it. They never said every single car will get it Q1. I'm glad they are trying to make sure it's right and not dumping it on everyone.

 

[timbop]

I suppose in a legaleze sense you are correct... but as you point out it was implied.

In a legal sense they don't promise OTA any more than they promise that the brakes will work. However, the intent was clearly implied including content and dates... What they implied matters.

I have to admit I am puzzled with the defense of Fords OTA rollout here.

1. On Monday your kids ask if they can go to the amusement park on saturday.
2. You say "Yes, we can go to the amusement park on saturday" on monday, because your schedule is clear for saturday and the long range weather forecast is for sun on saturday
3. The weather forecast changes, and torrential rains happen on saturday so you don't take your kids to the amusement park.
4. Your kids whine at you "but you PROMISED"

Did you break a promise, or did you make a good faith estimate?

Sponsored