Armchair engineers!

[dsalad]

Isn't it funny how Sandy Munro has turned a lot of us into armchair engineers? I see people posting about the HVB cooling system, waterproof battery trays, heat pump versus resistive heat, too many cooling pipes, octovalves, charge curves, and other topics. Pretty funny turn...I guess this happens with ICE cars, but electric seems to pull other people, people who would normally just turn the key and go, into discussing the nuts and bolts of engineering cars.

In my dream world, Ford would tell us the specifics about the software. How EXACTLY does the GOM work (give us the actual logic)? What temperatures matter when charging, why is the car charging slower today/now? What exactly is the error on the dash ("Service Vehicle Soon", or "Propulsion Fault")? Everyone is GUESSING at how the logic works...reverse engineering by experience...silly.

AND, while I am dreaming, Ford should "honor" the early adopters and roll out new software to us (I'm counting myself since my car is an early VIN, although I just got it in September) FIRST. Doesn't it stand to reason that the early adopters are the people who proved your new car was desirable, are brand loyal, and they are willing to take a chance on it? It shows dedication to a brand, and brought in early money to Ford. Treat us with the good stuff first!

OK, done ranting. Maybe I will sign up for Twitter today and start bugging Palmer and Levine....

Sponsored

 

[Davedough]

I built a dining room set when my wife and I bought our first house many years ago and I take your criticisms personally. I engineered the hell out of those arms on those chairs. They were stable, I tell you!

 

[EELinneman]

Richard,

You bring up some interesting points. I too have been watching Sandy's videos for a while but have soured on him. Not for the reason, some might think - critiques of the MME, but rather his proud history of being a nasty person. He recently did a Q&A where he describes knocking out a professor at his first college!

While Ford clearly has a way to go with the software and some of the engineering, I believe that we are very early in this transition to BEV cars and trucks. Personally, digging into the specifics as you describe satisfies my inquisitive nature and my desire to know what I am buying and getting into with this new car and motors. There will be a lot of changes in the next few years in the MME in particular as they gain experience and improve their engineering. I hope that from the software perspective, this is quicker rather than slower. Yesterday, the guy who runs the Ger Energi YT channel posted a video of the things he hates and most of them are software related.



Please enjoy your ride, keep pushing to understand it and share what you learn, wish and discover with others. This whole forum is a tremendous resource to those of us who are learning and enthusiastic about the future of electric cars in general and the MME in particular.

 

[Chuck]

I'm an software engineer by profession. I don't care to know about inside baseball of how their software works an what is in a release unless there are added features. It's not open source, it's proprietary and they don't need to disclose anything else.

 

[Jimrpa]

I find the engineering stuff interesting but I’m certainly not qualified to make too many judgements. I do think that, as a user, I am qualified to comment on user experience issues.

 

[dsalad]

I'm an software engineer by profession. I don't care to know about inside baseball of how their software works an what is in a release unless there are added features. It's not open source, it's proprietary and they don't need to disclose anything else.

I wouldn't call it inside baseball...this is information that many other applications will give you. A simple explanation...something like "the GOM average the last 50 miles of driving, checks the temperature of the battery and external temp and calculates the remaining miles based on cell voltage as measured and averaged at each cell bank to get remaining percent, then averages Mi/kWh (over past 50 Mi) and applies a linear smoothing factor using upcoming weather forecast (20F to 59F = .8, 60F to 89F = 1, 90F to 120F = 1.2)". That seems like a reasonable ask so we can just know what is happening.

 

[dsalad]

I find the engineering stuff interesting but I’m certainly not qualified to make too many judgements. I do think that, as a user, I am qualified to comment on user experience issues.

I'm not asking this for the purpose of judgment, just open and honest communication. We want to know what is happening... Some of us are geeky like that. If you are not, you can skip over the info and move along, but it seems like a fair request to satisfy those of us who are interested.

 

[HuntingPudel]

LOL This reminds me of the topics on the SXM NASCAR channel where some people don't want to get "too far into the weeds" and some others want to know how the second muffler bearing was heat treated (not the first one, just the second one).

 

[Jimrpa]

I'm not asking this for the purpose of judgment, just open and honest communication. We want to know what is happening... Some of us are geeky like that. If you are not, you can skip over the info and move along, but it seems like a fair request to satisfy those of us who are interested.

I totally get it! I respect the interest, passion, and detailed knowledge and understanding. As I said, I find it really interesting. I’m just honestly not qualified to pass judgement on most of Ford’s design decisions. I couldn’t tell you the difference between a pouch battery, a prismatic battery, a solid state battery, a diamond battery and a Duracell copper top, but a buddy of mine will ramble on, in excruciating detail, for HOURS about all these and more. I just put the phone down, on mute, watch Squid Game, and occasionally say “uh huh” ?
Now, show me the overall program schedule for the vehicle, key decisions, risks, issues, constraints, and you’ll get my attention right away ?

 

[dsalad]

Now, show me the overall program schedule for the vehicle, key decisions, risks, issues, constraints, and you’ll get my attention right away ?

AMEN. Anything and everything...let us pick and choose. Thanks!

 

[EELinneman]

I'm not asking this for the purpose of judgment, just open and honest communication. We want to know what is happening... Some of us are geeky like that. If you are not, you can skip over the info and move along, but it seems like a fair request to satisfy those of us who are interested.

I'm sorry, but were you aware that this is discussing a product from Ford? Open and honest communications are not in their DNA. You did give me a good laugh though. Honestly, it is the worst capability that I've seen amongst car makers. Ford just doesn't communicate.

 

[Jimrpa]

AMEN. Anything and everything...let us pick and choose. Thanks!

I was being a bit humorous there. I think ford would understandably prefer to keep that information confidential.

 

[Jimrpa]

I'm sorry, but were you aware that this is discussing a product from Ford? Open and honest communications are not in their DNA. You did give me a good laugh though. Honestly, it is the worst capability that I've seen amongst car makers. Ford just doesn't communicate.

*cough* Tesla *cough* I’m sorry, something was caught in my throat. You were saying? ???

 

[Sneezy]

I am a software engineer and own my own business. If I put out software they way Ford has, I wouldn't have many customers left.

Ford needs to fix the software ASAP.

 

[dsalad]

In my Best dr. Evil voice “throw us a bone here!”

Sponsored