Ford Pass user experience hurt by complexity.

[JTS]

Our Mach E often fails to limit charge or will “reset itself” and continue charging the next day to 100%. Probably a bug but this Speaks to the LARGER ISSUE of the app being way to complex n complicated. Why not just have Stop/Start/Delay charge, available on Home Screen? Simple. Not several menus deep. Not location dependent.

I was glad to see the update that added the: “Car is charging” banner so we actually know the car is charging. However why not just have the battery icon modulate or shimmer like the Energi products had when charging? A VISUAL indication is much more effective and actually creates a positive user experience. Then the battery icon itself could become an active button for charging details and further control.

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[OlyPen]

Our Mach E often fails to limit charge or will “reset itself” and continue charging the next day to 100%. Probably a bug but this Speaks to the LARGER ISSUE of the app being way to complex n complicated. Why not just have Stop/Start/Delay charge, available on Home Screen? Simple. Not several menus deep. Not location dependent.

I was glad to see the update that added the: “Car is charging” banner so we actually know the car is charging. However why not just have the battery icon modulate or shimmer like the Energi products had when charging? A VISUAL indication is much more effective and actually creates a positive user experience. Then the battery icon itself could become an active button for charging details and further control.

Ford has said that they anticipate users will always charge to 100% and designed the vehicle charging to do that without sacrificing battery life. And, the car should always be plugged in when resting in hot weather (like the heat waves we're having now) to run the advanced battery cooling system. Unless you really have a need to short charge (not talking about public fast charging here, but slower L2 charging), I'm not sure it's a huge issue? But maybe I'm missing something on this?

But yeah, the FordPass app needs a good UX expert to give it a once over. Twice.

 

[zhackwyatt]

Ford has said that they anticipate users will always charge to 100% and designed the vehicle charging to do that without sacrificing battery life. And, the car should always be plugged in when resting in hot weather (like the heat waves we're having now) to run the advanced battery cooling system. Unless you really have a need to short charge (not talking about public fast charging here, but slower L2 charging), I'm not sure it's a huge issue? But maybe I'm missing something on this?

But yeah, the FordPass app needs a good UX expert to give it a once over. Twice.

Well the owners manual recommends only charging to 90%.

 

[zhackwyatt]

Our Mach E often fails to limit charge or will “reset itself” and continue charging the next day to 100%. Probably a bug but this Speaks to the LARGER ISSUE of the app being way to complex n complicated. Why not just have Stop/Start/Delay charge, available on Home Screen? Simple. Not several menus deep. Not location dependent.

I was glad to see the update that added the: “Car is charging” banner so we actually know the car is charging. However why not just have the battery icon modulate or shimmer like the Energi products had when charging? A VISUAL indication is much more effective and actually creates a positive user experience. Then the battery icon itself could become an active button for charging details and further control.

Does the charging settings show up correctly in the car itself?

 

[OlyPen]

Well the owners manual recommends only charging to 90%.

Wait. There's an owner's manual?!? ?

 

[eStang]

I agree that the app is not great. In my view Ford's decision to have a single app that covers all vehicles is leading to "lowest common denominator" syndrome - and also causes the deep nesting in the UI before you get to the features of interest for our vehicle. I would like if they provided a Mach-E only app as an alternative option. IOW, keep FordPass if they must have a one-for-all app, but add a Mustang Mach-E specific app as well... one in which the App UI matches the look/feel/layout of the in-car experience.

 

[BMT1071]

Wait. There's an owner's manual?!? ?

Oh the number of threads that wouldn't exist if people just RTFM... ???

 

[OlyPen]

Oh the number of threads that wouldn't exist if people just RTFM... ???

I stopped at page 537 of the third revision.... Funny story... When my car was activated, my owners manual link changed to a single new manual "for vehicles manufactured after April 21, 2021". It would be an interesting exercise (for someone else) to determine what's different for vehicles after April 21st.

 

[sandrift]

Well the owners manual recommends only charging to 90%.

Can you help point me to where it says this? I’ve seen this (and 80%) commonly cited in these forums as “Ford’s recommendation”, and was trying to find that recommendation for myself. We just got our MME, and the online (not in-car) MME manual doesn’t say anything about not charging to 100% in the section on charging. (It recommends stopping at 80% when paying for fast charging because the slow-down beyond 80% makes it more costly.) Does this recommendation appear in a different section that I just haven’t found? Thanks in advance.

 

[agoldman]

I'd be happy if the app simply showed whether the car is locked or unlocked at a glance and put the watch app back.

 

[macchiaz-o]

Can you help point me to where it says this? I’ve seen this (and 80%) commonly cited in these forums as “Ford’s recommendation”, and was trying to find that recommendation for myself. We just got our MME, and the online (not in-car) MME manual doesn’t say anything about not charging to 100% in the section on charging. (It recommends stopping at 80% when paying for fast charging because the slow-down beyond 80% makes it more costly.) Does this recommendation appear in a different section that I just haven’t found? Thanks in advance.

It used to say 90% on this page:

https://www.fordservicecontent.com/...&userMarket=USA&div=f&vFilteringEnabled=False

As you've found, that recommendation is no longer there. Instead, Ford now recommends "less than 100%":

setting the maximum charge level to be less than 100% for everyday usage reduces strain on the battery.

 

[RickMachE]

I agree that the app is not great. In my view Ford's decision to have a single app that covers all vehicles is leading to "lowest common denominator" syndrome - and also causes the deep nesting in the UI before you get to the features of interest for our vehicle. I would like if they provided a Mach-E only app as an alternative option. IOW, keep FordPass if they must have a one-for-all app, but add a Mustang Mach-E specific app as well... one in which the App UI matches the look/feel/layout of the in-car experience.

They did that with MyFordMobile for the Energis, and it was crap.

 

[Deleted member 3663]

I was glad to see the update that added the: “Car is charging” banner so we actually know the car is charging. However why not just have the battery icon modulate or shimmer like the Energi products had when charging? A VISUAL indication is much more effective and actually creates a positive user experience. Then the battery icon itself could become an active button for charging details and further control.

I'm working on a wireframe we can present to Ford. I'll add the battery icon being an active button. Great idea.

Here is where I am right now with the mock-up: FordPass App- What it really should be | Ford Mustang Mach-E Forum - MachEforum.com

 

[zhackwyatt]

Can you help point me to where it says this? I’ve seen this (and 80%) commonly cited in these forums as “Ford’s recommendation”, and was trying to find that recommendation for myself. We just got our MME, and the online (not in-car) MME manual doesn’t say anything about not charging to 100% in the section on charging. (It recommends stopping at 80% when paying for fast charging because the slow-down beyond 80% makes it more costly.) Does this recommendation appear in a different section that I just haven’t found? Thanks in advance.

It used to say 90% on this page:

https://www.fordservicecontent.com/...&userMarket=USA&div=f&vFilteringEnabled=False

As you've found, that recommendation is no longer there. Instead, Ford now recommends "less than 100%":

I didn't realize it changed.

 

[macchiaz-o]

I didn't realize it changed.

Yeah I didn't either until @sandrift pointed it out and I double checked.

Here is the old text from page 149 in the PDF manual:

Overnight Charging and Storage

You can increase the longevity of your high
voltage battery by using the preferred
charge times feature. Preferred charge
times can keep your battery at the optimal
temperature and state of charge based on
your settings and usage.

Allowing your battery to cool before
charging and setting the maximum state
of charge to 90% for everyday usage
improves longevity of your high voltage
battery.

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