Watch! Interview: MME Chief Engineer Donna Dickson

[JoeDimwit]

She seems like a diversity hire. Ford's been doing this a lot and it's reflecting in the quality and final outcome of the product. Had a gear head been put in charge of the MME, things would be much different.

this might shock you, but she wasn’t in charge when the Mach-E was conceived and designed. She took over the project in mid to late 2021 if my memory is right.

editted to correct the year she took over the project

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[HalifaxDC]

Part of me wonders if Ford is stuck in the archaic mentality that updating the older cars will rob from '24 sales.

If Ford doesn't pass along the charging and power updates to the older cars it will say a lot about their commitment to supporting the vehicles post-sale.

Even if that is true, I don't really have a problem with it, as long as earlier model years get the updates right after that.

Discount the 2023s to get rid of them quickly (they have and they are) ... start selling the 2024s, and get them rolling off the lots, based on these upgrades/improvements ... and it's at this point where the problem might/will arise ... if after selling the excess 2023s and most of the 2024s, if they STILL have no plans to do retroactive updates for the earlier model years (even though it would be relatively easy to do, from most accounts), that will be a deal breaker for me ever getting another Ford product.

 

[Mirak]

Gal? Are we in the '60s? You may not have been impressed with what you saw, but I think she's owed a bit more respect than that.

https://www.cargroup.org/person/donna-dickson/

"Gal" is no less respectful than "guy"?

 

[Mach-Lee]

My impression is we shouldn't expect any of the 2024 improvements sooner than 2025 at the earliest.

If they decide to do it, I think the charging speed thermal validation for the previous generations shouldn't take that long (but will), it's the same battery after all. 1/4 mile time improvement being retroactive is much more iffy because of the new motor involved, I don't think that will come. Or if it does, you might have to pay for it.

The fact they haven't really looked into the charging speed display by now is a little bit appalling. It should have been on 2024s. We've been pushing for that hard almost from the beginning. Things are taking so long that a lot of Mach-E customers won't see these improvements before their lease or options plans are up.

"Always-on" is a great idea, but it's a fail when it takes 3+ years to deploy an improvement. There are lots of 2021s that still don't have frunk buttons. Most of us aren't going to stick with the brand after that sort of treatment. It's too little, too late.

 

[Mach1E]

8 min 30 in- Are the existing owners going to get the 5 sec limit removed?
“We are going to try, but we are investigating it still.”


14 min in-
“Once we have it in the vehicle coming out of the plant, we will OTA it.”

These comments still should give us hope. Kinda frustrating that it’s been almost 3 years and they still have to “investigate it.”

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

this might shock you, but she wasn’t in charge when the Mach-E was conceived and designed. She took over the project in mid to late 2022 if my memory is right.

The chief engineer for the car during design and initial launch was (as you know) a white male engineer. He was promoted in March of 2021. He subsequently retired at the end of 2022 iirc.

 

[Calvinvshobbes]

8 min 30 in- Are the existing owners going to get the 5 sec limit removed?
“We are going to try, but we are investigating it still.”


14 min in-
“Once we have it in the vehicle coming out of the plant, we will OTA it.”

These comments still should give us hope. Kinda frustrating that it’s been almost 3 years and they still have to “investigate it.”

They will look into it, but their OTA system has been a failure in pushing BC 1.3/1.4. They will be focused on that before retro benefits on performance. I don't think we will see anything until 2025 on this.

 

[Dear_OP]

Tough crowd.

Look Ford is doing what Ford typically does.

 

[Mache_Nor]

People: We need (insert a useable feature such as reliable OTAs, button for frunk/trunk, manual preconditioning feature etc).
Ford: Look, Bluecruise 1.5! To be released soon through our reliable OTA infrastructure!

 

[MrLoganRoss]

Wow. You attribute Ford’s issues to the fact that a white guy is not in charge? That’s pretty pathetic, and usually the comment made by someone uneducated, bitter, and looking for someone else to blame for their own lack of success. I hope that’s not you, is it?

You owe the good people on this site an apology.

She seems like a diversity hire. Ford's been doing this a lot and it's reflecting in the quality and final outcome of the product. Had a gear head been put in charge of the MME, things would be much different. This is a direct result of the DEI push of black rock / state street / vanguard being their largest shareholders. I watch just about every video from ford reps and despite making up about ~3% of engineers, they've got several top spots held by women. While I noticed the unusual makeup of heads of departments, my sister who is a literal rocket scientist pointed out it happens too frequently and she's leaving a one of the large defense contractors due to such things. She's not even vocal but will ramble on about wondering how some of these individuals made it through school.

Ford is at the top of recalls costing them billions because they're not putting the best candidate into spots that require the best of the best. They didn't even have the sense to push for higher power hybrids. They try to do econoboxes (or 100k lincolns) instead of making 600hp+ PHEVs people would buy. Hell they under-rate the hybrid F150s so the raptor 3.5 looks like the top dog in power (it's not). Now after squandering the last 3-4 years and making a mediocre push on EVs, they're suddenly going to concentrate on hybridizing the fleet. Farley has got to go. I won't buy another ford until that joker is gone. His tenure has been a trainwreck.

 

[Mach1E]

They will look into it, but their OTA system has been a failure in pushing BC 1.3/1.4. They will be focused on that before retro benefits on performance. I don't think we will see anything until 2025 on this.

But it’s not a “no.” ?

 

[DustyShades]

So, I’m going to be a contrarian here: if I were to walk up to a random Mustang Mach-E owner in the parking lot and ask them about software updates, do you think they’d respond that those are a pain point?
Is it possible that software updates are more of a pain point to “enthusiasts” than to the wider group of Mustang Mach-E owners?

I would guess that they’re even more confused because they got an email a year ago about blue cruise being updated with specific new features and that update still hasn’t come and they don’t know why.

 

[hack-e]

Ford's close to competing on the agile software front but coming in just a bit short. They have really got to step it up if they want to stay in he race. I have my doubts that the current generation MME will ever get there but have hopes that it allowed them to learn so that the 2nd generation MME (and others based on it) will get agile.

It makes absolutely no sense to me that they haven't put all the charging info kW, kWh, volts, amps (requested and given) somewhere on a screen that doesn't require ODB2 in the 3 years since release.

I will be keeping my 22 MME for a while but my wife will likely need a new car in early 2025. We'll see if Ford has improved the MME enough for us to get a 2nd one at that time.

 

[Jimrpa]

Yes. I know a few on this island alone.

As for the update that added the frunk release for job 1 2021 cars, it only enabled the door keypad code release method. They may or may not have the FordPass button and only two of the folks I know with job 1s have the sync screen button. They’re both on the mainland.

I have the button on my screen ? Of course, I'm sort of far away from the miserable, awful place called HI ?

 

[Jimrpa]

Side kick. Sort of. Go watch one of the shorter videos.

Awww.. Do I have to ? I was looking forward to spending the day watching something exciting - like the grass grow ?

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