360° Degree Camera feature is now FREE! Free Trial Extended to Permanent*!

[RedOctobrrr]

Never said it was a huge expense.

But warranty claims = not zero.

And the opportunity cost of people not paying $1900? Will be significant, especially for future sales.

It's my hunch that people are not rushing to pay $1,900 on account of a 360° camera. Pretty sure they're looking at the competition - Tesla FSD - at a competing price point of $15,000 when deciding if $1,900 is reasonable for Blue Cruise.

 

[Hammered]

It's my hunch that people are not rushing to pay $1,900 on account of a 360° camera. Pretty sure they're looking at the competition - Tesla FSD - at a competing price point of $15,000 when deciding if $1,900 is reasonable for Blue Cruise.

Well tesla notFSD doesn't work, so some fools and their money are more easily parted than others...

Auto's are desperate to move to a SAS (software as a service) model to milk people of every penny. It's stupidly profitable. Look at how many people pay for office 365 and similar monthly. The problem with auto companies is that their software sucks. The best part of most modern cars is the android auto and carplay integration, which is already free. They can't compete with that so they're looking to monetize anything they can.

As for parts in a car you already purchased, well you can turn most of it on using a $50 adapter while also customizing all sorts of things. Someone installed the full bluecruise system in an F150 XL, which basically had nothing -- and it worked, no sub fees.

 

[Mach1E]

It's my hunch that people are not rushing to pay $1,900 on account of a 360° camera. Pretty sure they're looking at the competition - Tesla FSD - at a competing price point of $15,000 when deciding if $1,900 is reasonable for Blue Cruise.

Not sure what the adoption rate is on select 2023 owners paying for the 360 camera.

But it seems like about half of the 2021 and 2022 Mach E buyers were willing and DID pay for that option.

Here’s my “too lazy to look it up” math, but if you care enough to plug the real numbers in you can.

50,000 Mach Es sold with 360 camera at $1900. That’s $95 million in revenue for Ford.

Let’s say the adoption rate for select owners (more thrifty by nature) is half of “the rest of us” so only 25% say yes to the $1900.

25,000 selects per year, 6,000 opt in, is around $11 million dollars in revenue.

So Ford just gave up $11 million a year for free. (Very rough math, but you get the idea).

And if it continues to be free? Many less of future owners will buy the higher trims….. also lost revenue.

Either way, this is a “gift,” and not one without significant cost to Ford. We should be grateful.

 

[Mach1E]

We probably disagree on the meaning of splitting hairs also.

If we actually were remotely close to “splitting hairs…..”

$0 vs “millions of dollars.”

One of these things is not like the other.

 

[RedOctobrrr]

Not sure what the adoption rate is on select 2023 owners paying for the 360 camera.

But it seems like about half of the 2021 and 2022 Mach E buyers were willing and DID pay for that option.

Here’s my “too lazy to look it up” math, but if you care enough to plug the real numbers in you can.

50,000 Mach Es sold with 360 camera at $1900. That’s $95 million in revenue for Ford.

Let’s say the adoption rate for select owners (more thrifty by nature) is half of “the rest of us” so only 25% say yes to the $1900.

25,000 selects per year, 6,000 opt in, is around $11 million dollars in revenue.

So Ford just gave up $11 million a year for free. (Very rough math, but you get the idea).

And if it continues to be free? Many less of future owners will buy the higher trims….. also lost revenue.

Either way, this is a “gift,” and not one without significant cost to Ford. We should be grateful.

Wait what... Are you saying people think $1900 is for the 360 camera? Or are you under the impression the $1900 was strictly for 360° camera?

By your logic, the $1900 activation and 3yr subscription is... 360° camera?

Just want to make sure I'm not making any assumptions before I point out all the holes in your logic on this one.

 

[nvabill]

If we actually were remotely close to “splitting hairs…..”

$0 vs “millions of dollars.”

One of these things is not like the other.

Wow, you still trying to balance the books for Ford Motor Company? While you are at it don’t forget to figure the money that Ford is losing by not charging a subscription fee for all the vehicles they sell with 360 cameras. So, I guess you win, Ford is hemorrhaging money by giving these things away for free. Good luck with those balance sheets.

 

[Mach1E]

Wait what... Are you saying people think $1900 is for the 360 camera? Or are you under the impression the $1900 was strictly for 360° camera?

By your logic, the $1900 activation and 3yr subscription is... 360° camera?

Just want to make sure I'm not making any assumptions before I point out all the holes in your logic on this one.

I’m using the numbers from the first line in your first post here:

“***Note: I have a 2023 Select model in which I did not pay the $1900 subscription to Blue Cruise and 360° Camera at time of purchase.***”

If the number to buy the camera isn’t $1900, what are you talking about?

But either way, it doesn’t matter if it’s $500 or $1900 or $2…….. it isn’t zero.

Feel free to poke as many holes as you like. But the number will never end up at zero.

 

[Mach1E]

Wow, you still trying to balance the books for Ford Motor Company? While you are at it don’t forget to figure the money that Ford is losing by not charging a subscription fee for all the vehicles they sell with 360 cameras. So, I guess you win, Ford is hemorrhaging money by giving these things away for free. Good luck with those balance sheets.

Hemorrhaging money?

$11 million isn’t squat for Ford.

But it still isn’t zero.

 

[Hammered]

I’m using the numbers from the first line in your first post here:

“***Note: I have a 2023 Select model in which I did not pay the $1900 subscription to Blue Cruise and 360° Camera at time of purchase.***”

If the number to buy the camera isn’t $1900, what are you talking about?

But either way, it doesn’t matter if it’s $500 or $1900 or $2…….. it isn’t zero.

Feel free to poke as many holes as you like. But the number will never end up at zero.

360 cams on my F150 was $765. It includes the front and mirror cams, but also added a bed camera. All of them come w/ reverse cam. I'd imagine the mach-e to be similar. FWIW, on the F150, the 360 cams uses a different IPMA as well. Not sure if the MME all have the same IPMA or not, but it's for-sure a different unit. They alone run ~300$ on fleabay.

 

[johnmark]

Just because it’s there doesn’t mean you get free access to it.

Like they said, it’s easier to build all vehicles the same but unlock features to those that paid for them. For example, a optional part may cost them $5 more to put on but the change over or keeping track of whether it was ordered or not on the production line is worth more than that $5. So they just put the part in all the vehicles and let the customer unlock them. Now multiply that across a ton of optional parts per vehicle and the simplicity gain increases.

This is where everything electronic is headed. Especially stuff that is strongly software related.

This doesn't make sense. I paid for the car. Ergo, I should control the access to all of its features. Its not free, because I paid for the car. Electronics manufacturers of all industries, whether content (music, gaming, etc.) or software-enhanced physical goods (appliances, care, etc) love to use software as an excuse to bilk customers continuously. And because we have no means of choosing alternative after market providers, we're locked in to our provider's particular walled garden.

This is why right to repair laws are so important. There has to be a thriving ecosystem of 3rd party providers. Stop accepting whatever shit companies shovel your way.

/rant

 

[nvabill]

Hemorrhaging money?

$11 million isn’t squat for Ford.

But it still isn’t zero.

True.

 

[Mach1E]

This doesn't make sense. I paid for the car. Ergo, I should control the access to all of its features. Its not free, because I paid for the car. Electronics manufacturers of all industries, whether content (music, gaming, etc.) or software-enhanced physical goods (appliances, care, etc) love to use software as an excuse to bilk customers continuously. And because we have no means of choosing alternative after market providers, we're locked in to our provider's particular walled garden.

This is why right to repair laws are so important. There has to be a thriving ecosystem of 3rd party providers. Stop accepting whatever shit companies shovel your way.

/rant

I only “kind of” understand the frustration.

You might have paid for the car, but you definitely didn’t pay for that option.

You could have! But chose not to check the box.

But now you know that it came installed but not activated and you’re mad?

Moot point by now since they decided to give it away free. But still, not totally agreeing it would be a reason to be angry.

Yeah, it’s a little annoying that every computer I purchased in the last 20 years only had a “free trial” of Microsoft office and some antivirus. But that’s how they make money.

They “give you a taste.” Just like the drug dealers.

I honestly really liked this way of adding options to a car.

Throw them on there and let you “try before you buy.” You can change your mind later and opt in….. or not.

More than once I decided against an option on a car for financial reasons…… only to wish I had “checked that box” later on.

In fact, I really really wish they have a power upgrade option like Tesla and Volvo.

 

[johnmark]

I only “kind of” understand the frustration.

You might have paid for the car, but you definitely didn’t pay for that option.

You could have! But chose not to check the box.

But now you know that it came installed but not activated and you’re mad?

Moot point by now since they decided to give it away free. But still, not totally agreeing it would be a reason to be angry.

Yeah, it’s a little annoying that every computer I purchased in the last 20 years only had a “free trial” of Microsoft office and some antivirus. But that’s how they make money.

They “give you a taste.” Just like the drug dealers.

I honestly really liked this way of adding options to a car.

Throw them on there and let you “try before you buy.” You can change your mind later and opt in….. or not.

More than once I decided against an option on a car for financial reasons…… only to wish I had “checked that box” later on.

In fact, I really really wish they have a power upgrade option like Tesla and Volvo.

Enjoy your future of rented oxygen and water.

I'm not saying things don't cost money and shouldn't be paid for. I'm saying it's morally wrong to send me an artificially crippled car. I'm not talking about services like bluecruise - but a camera that's already on the car? I, as a person with rights, should be able to easily access and use said device.

And speaking of bluecruise - I should have the right to choose an alternate service provider. Don't be a fool.

 

[Ride_the_lightning]

Please please PLEASE stop confusing paying for a feature with paying FOREVER ON A SUBSCRIPTION BASIS for a feature. We can all agree that Ford doesn’t need to include hardware for free. We can debate the value of it. But there are more than two options here. It doesn’t need to be free VS pay forever. Paying once could also work…

I’m fact, as Netflix is now seeing, SAS isn’t as recession proof as they wish. People realize their monthly subscription fees add up, and don’t hesitate to cancel services when they aren’t using them. Charging people the present value up front for something can actually be better for companies, and hopefully they realize that. Tesla did, and milked 7.5-15k from people for FSD before they realized it wasn’t worth using all the time.

 

[bluestarct]

This is nuts, I understand paying for Blue Cruise as it is a paid connected service that needs constant monitoring and upkeep. Camera, that is straight up BS, it is built into the car and requires nothing whatsoever from Ford for it to operate!

Just because the camera is built into the car for manufacturing ease and YOU CHOSE NOT TO PAY FOR THE OPTION, why should you get it for free?

Sounds like the OP and other 2023 Select buyers should just be happy Ford is giving them the 360 camera for free. And stop complaining about it.