Do we have unrealistic expectations?

[OlyPen]

Excuse me, do you have any Grey Poupon?

Sorry, you'll have to ask a Tesla driver for that. They have unlimited condiments at the supercharger. LOL

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[bruceski88]

Just reading the various posts and seeing topics that keep coming up that indicate expectations aren't matching reality..... So, QUESTIONS for group discussion (this is a NO JUDGMENT ZONE PLEASE....):

How many people took their ICE vehicle to any gas station, regardless of brand, stuck the fuel pump nozzle in their car and walked away while it fueled up? Or, were there credit cards and rewards programs to enter into the pump before you could fuel up and get the lowest price?

Why do we suddenly think an EV (or company) is broken because you can't plug it in to every brand charging station and walk away, automatically getting the lowest price?

How many times did you pop the hood on your ICE vehicle by hitting a button on your key fob? Why do we suddenly think the front hood should act differently because it's a storage space instead of an engine--but still subject to the same laws of physics and safety issues associated with ensuring it doesn't accidentally pop open when the vehicle is moving?

Tesla says their car is "full self driving", but it's not--and they get a pass. Ford says the MME has "Co-Pilot 360 Advanced Driver Assistance", and yet we jump all over them because the car doesn't drive itself perfectly in every situation, including ones that Ford specifically says it wasn't designed to handle, and tells you to put your hands on the wheel to stay in control?

I'm just wondering if our expectations exceed what is currently possible, and why we lack patience while one of the oldest legacy automobile manufacturers attempts to completely change their business model, products and services to adapt to the future, and we think that can happen in a week?

I feel like a little more patience with the infrastructure and transition to a different powertrain might help us achieve some EV Zen. You may return to your regularly scheduled forum threads.... ???

The Mach-e is a great car, but Ford does have a lot of opportunities for improvement. If it wasn’t for EA this car would be useless on a roadtrip. I really didn’t understand when I reserved the car that we were dependent on EA’s rollout. Am relieved everything has worked out reasonably well.

 

[OlyPen]

The Mach-e is a great car, but Ford does have a lot of opportunities for improvement. If it wasn’t for EA this car would be useless on a roadtrip. I really didn’t understand when I reserved the car that we were dependent on EA’s rollout. Am relieved everything has worked out reasonably well.

Ford entered a partnership a few years ago with VW, which probably contributed a lot to that situation. And really, the country needs to think differently about "fuel" when most people can charge at home and never need a public charger for day to day use. So charging infrastructure really needs to be thought of differently than our current fueling infrastructure. We don't need electric gas stations. One cool idea I heard was for the government to give out grants to all small businesses to install outdoor 240v plugs everywhere..... Far cheaper and more reliable to use those with the mobile chargers that come with new EVs than to build an extensive and complicated charging network. And then couple that with large public L3 fast charging at existing rest stops all along major highways for travelers.

 

[IL_Vet]

The Mach E has tens of millions of lines of code, which is tens of millions of opportunities to make a mistake. A misplaced parenthesis, semicolon, or misordered operation is all it takes for a bug to happen. No software has ever been perfect in any iteration, and it is generally least perfect at the beginning of its lifespan. When it comes to interoperating with other company's products it is far worse, because no matter how thoroughly specifications and standards are written there are always scenarios not thought of and ambiguous statements. Inevitably that leads too miscues between products. I can tell you from personal experience that happens ALL the time.

If I am sloppy in my work, my clients won't accept the excuse that there was a lot of work to do and please just cope with the mistakes UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

I see. So, other manufacturers (including Ford) of all types of vehicles have figured out simple SOFTWARE issues like radio presets, alarm functions, buzzing screens, charging issues (for some)? And, Ford can't do some of those same simple things for the MME?

Software development involves tasks that require attention-to-detail just as careers like surgeons, attorneys, pilots and other attention-intensive professions. It is not unreasonable to expect that Ford has tested, tested, tested, and retested the features that it highlighted for the MME before releasing or providing prompt updates. If Ford wants to tout safety for the MME, presets should stay set instead of having owners repeatedly diverting attention to search for a station or feature that (s)he has preset and reset numerous times. MME owners shouldn't continually be nagged by the horny repeatedly honking when you've turned off the feature numerous times. MME owners shouldn't have trepidation about whether their PaaK will work. I could go on. If Ford thinks that it's okay to have sloppy inattentive software developers releasing untested products in $60k vehicles, that's a genuine concern for some of us. I reiterate that I favor my MME as my EV. Yet, I respect that others expected what Ford advertised.

Your statement as to the MME's voluminous software code highlights the need for attentive software code developers to try harder, test and retest before release. Then, the MME or other products should be fully tested in the manners expected to be used by consumers-->problems addressed and then released.

But, thanks for highlighting one of the problems- rushed sloppy software development is an issue. Half-baked software is more acceptable for a video game but the expectation of quality is heigthened for a $60k vehicle. So, please consider respecting the concerns and opinions of others when they come to realize that the software developers mucked up the MME.

 

[OlyPen]

If I am sloppy in my work, my clients won't accept the excuse that there was a lot of work to do and please just cope with the mistakes UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

I see. So, other manufacturers (including Ford) of all types of vehicles have figured out simple SOFTWARE issues like radio presets, alarm functions, buzzing screens, charging issues (for some)? And, Ford can't do some of those same simple things for the MME?

Software development involves tasks that require attention-to-detail just as careers like surgeons, attorneys, pilots and other attention-intensive professions. It is not unreasonable to expect that Ford has tested, tested, tested, and retested the features that it highlighted for the MME before releasing or providing prompt updates. If Ford wants to tout safety for the MME, presets should stay set instead of having owners repeatedly diverting attention to search for a station or feature that (s)he has preset and reset numerous times. MME owners shouldn't continually be nagged by the horny repeatedly honking when you've turned off the feature numerous times. MME owners shouldn't have trepidation about whether their PaaK will work. I could go on. If Ford thinks that it's okay to have sloppy inattentive software developers releasing untested products in $60k vehicles, that's a genuine concern for some of us. I reiterate that I favor my MME as my EV. Yet, I respect that others expected what Ford advertised.

Your statement as to the MME's voluminous software code highlights the need for attentive software code developers to try harder, test and retest before release. Then, the MME or other products should be fully tested in the manners expected to be used by consumers-->problems addressed and then released.

But, thanks for highlighting one of the problems- rushed sloppy software development is an issue. Half-baked software is more acceptable for a video game but the expectation of quality is heigthened for a $60k vehicle. So, please consider respecting the concerns and opinions of others when they come to realize that the software developers mucked up the MME.

Agreed. But the issue I'm trying to raise is that many of the folks saying Ford half baked the software are applauding Tesla, claiming that Tesla has nailed it and Ford should have learned from Tesla. So the point isn't that Ford didn't blow it (PAAK, again, is definitely an example where Ford needs to step up and make it right by giving extra fobs to owners and setting them up for free...). BUT Tesla is still actively beta testing on their customers and there's little acknowledgment that the grass really isn't greener at Tesla than Ford.

 

[markystarky]

I guess things got out of hand. Fortunately I didn't read most of the posts. I do want to say that concerning the bugs in the car and the app, I went into this with eyes wide open. I've always thought never to buy the first year of any new model. Let them work the bugs out first. But in this case I made the right decision. I'm crazy about the car. I make excuses to drive it. In this case I know I'm the beta tester.

 

[shutterbug]

Excuse me, do you have any Grey Poupon?

Sorry, but that doesn't go with caviar.

 

[Kdpt]

concerning the bugs in the car and the app, I went into this with eyes wide open. I've always thought never to buy the first year of any new model. Let them work the bugs out first. But in this case I made the right decision. I'm crazy about the car. I make excuses to drive it. In this case I know I'm the beta tester.

Just to jump in & say 'I make excuses to drive it' comment is exactly how I feel right now (from the UK so no Paak).

 

[Nklem]

Just reading the various posts and seeing topics that keep coming up that indicate expectations aren't matching reality..... So, QUESTIONS for group discussion (this is a NO JUDGMENT ZONE PLEASE....):

How many people took their ICE vehicle to any gas station, regardless of brand, stuck the fuel pump nozzle in their car and walked away while it fueled up? Or, were there credit cards and rewards programs to enter into the pump before you could fuel up and get the lowest price?

Why do we suddenly think an EV (or company) is broken because you can't plug it in to every brand charging station and walk away, automatically getting the lowest price?

How many times did you pop the hood on your ICE vehicle by hitting a button on your key fob? Why do we suddenly think the front hood should act differently because it's a storage space instead of an engine--but still subject to the same laws of physics and safety issues associated with ensuring it doesn't accidentally pop open when the vehicle is moving?

Tesla says their car is "full self driving", but it's not--and they get a pass. Ford says the MME has "Co-Pilot 360 Advanced Driver Assistance", and yet we jump all over them because the car doesn't drive itself perfectly in every situation, including ones that Ford specifically says it wasn't designed to handle, and tells you to put your hands on the wheel to stay in control?

I'm just wondering if our expectations exceed what is currently possible, and why we lack patience while one of the oldest legacy automobile manufacturers attempts to completely change their business model, products and services to adapt to the future, and we think that can happen in a week?

I feel like a little more patience with the infrastructure and transition to a different powertrain might help us achieve some EV Zen. You may return to your regularly scheduled forum threads.... ???

Grr

I guess things got out of hand. Fortunately I didn't read most of the posts. I do want to say that concerning the bugs in the car and the app, I went into this with eyes wide open. I've always thought never to buy the first year of any new model. Let them work the bugs out first. But in this case I made the right decision. I'm crazy about the car. I make excuses to drive it. In this case I know I'm the beta tester.

I am right there with you. I relied very little on forum type information before buying the Mach E. I am a mechanical engineer and went against my professional opinions on all fronts with the Mach E, first year car (March 2021 build), standard battery, EV only family (no ICE cars anymore), the closest DCFC is 2 hours away, cold climate, but I am loving that decision. 2400 miles in 5 weeks. I cannot wait to get in and drive it at any moment. It’s simply an incredible car and in my opinion very well done By Ford. Of course, I did not break my cardinal rule, never buy a car without driving it first.....And I drove a demo for 2 full days before I “pulled the plug” or in this case, “plugged the car in”. Yes it has some glitches (primarily I see them in the display menu’s). I did not even know what PAAK really was when I bought it and intended to use fobs anyway, but I am quickly liking it and hopefully will be key free soon.

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