Future Mach-E buyers, please note…

[dbsb3233]

I keep reading that you can't take these on trips, guess I should stop doing that. And someone tell @dbsb3233 and @ChasingCoral...

Yep. I'll concede that it's not for everyone. Takes more time (if going far enough to need multiple DCFCs en route) and more planning (to check out the DCFC coverage and dependability on the route). That's not everyone's cup of tea. And some routes are still no-go where we have to take the Bronco.

But in the last 3 years we've been able to do 35k road trip miles in the MME and only had put 5k on the ICE for insufficient lack of charger coverage. Haven't been stranded yet (well, for lack of charging... HVBJB was another matter). And that's using mostly the "unusable!" EA network.

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[DevSecOps]

I keep reading that you can't take these on trips, guess I should stop doing that.

About time you take some of my advice! Wait, remind us what happened last time you took a road trip in your MME again...

 

[George Knighton]

I really didn't even think about resale or trade value. If somebody had waved a used GT PE under my nose during the shopping process, I might've been interested.

The GT PE was so very clearly a better car than the Model Y Performance I'd looked at (twice) that it was surprising.

And they gave me within $500 what I paid for it to trade the Chevy Bolt, so there's that, I guess.

If you're happy with the car, just keep it. If we never break down at some point, we'll be waiting forever for a theoretically perfect vehicle that never arrives.

 

[Ghost Ryder]

About time you take some of my advice! Wait, remind us what happened last time you took a road trip in your MME again...

You are mistaken. When RickMache's Navigation system recognized that RickMachE was going on a long trip, it just activated Ford's new range extender feature. By limiting the power to 20%, it effectively increase range allowing him to travel further between charge.

Unfortunately the only way to turn off the system once activated is to take it to the dealership.

 

[dbsb3233]

Here is my issue with EV road tripping. There are two types of road trips: (1) driving to grandma's house with your 2.5 kids, spouse, and dog for Thanksgiving, and (2) a walkabout exploratory trip where you may have a destination but not a path.

Trip version No. 2 is the problem. For me personally my road trips are for pleasure. It's not pleasurable to have to constantly map a path based on fuel consumption and fuel stops availability. If i wanted to plan that much, I'd just stay at my office and work.

Set-destination trips are easy and more conveniently planned because the route is known, it's all very mathematical. I rarely take trips like version 1, but when I do it's mostly to family just 100 miles away. If I stay awhile then I'd plug in at a family/friend's house and recover some range for the trip home (I'd reimburse them for the juice too).

Paying $45K to $60K for a car that can't perform road trip version 2 is just pointless IMO. It doesn't mater if I road trip just three or four times a year and commute daily well within the EV's range limitation, it's still a waste of money.

If I were a car buyer that had no over-night private charging capability, then that's game over, even if it was a Tesla.

Thus the "not everyone's cup of tea".

Ours tend to be long distance and well-planned. The frequent "shorter" trips are still 1600 miles round-trip (Denver-Vegas). But we've also done some 2500 mile ones and even a 4000 mile one across 9 states, with about a dozen attraction destinations along the way. I likened that one to doing a cruise, with me as the captain. ? 3-5 hours of driving most days to get to the next "port", the rest of the day and night there. It all worked quite well to see a ton of highlights in 2.5 weeks.

But trip planning has always been my thing. I'm a trip planning nerd. I actually enjoy doing the research and making a route plan. DCFC is still a bit of a digital scavenger hunt at this point. Gives me something to do in retirement. But again, I totally get that most people find that tedious and just want to get in the car and go like using an ICE car. EV road trips aren't for everyone. Heck EVs period aren't for everyone either.

 

[RickMachE]

We've never taken any trip where we had a destination and not a path. As someone who also enjoys planning, I'm sure we never will either.

Today, you can take all the trips you want in an EV as long as you plan - with the caveat that you can quite easily come up with a near impossible EV trip. Come Spring 2024 with 15,000 SuperChargers, it will be harder to come up with an impossible trip.

Some on this forum, including those that don't own the car, or don't own it any longer, want to focus on all the potential issues, including the ridiculous one of value on an unsold asset. My bond funds are down 16%, but I'm not selling - so who gives a damn?

In our October trip, the failed HVBJB cost me about 14 hours. Yes, that sucks. Yes, some days when I sat at the charger I was pissed. Yes, Ford could have handled it a lot better. But, when I bought these vehicles I told my dealer "you're going to F this up, and Ford's going to F this up." I knew it would be painful at times, but I'm going to help take them kicking and screaming into the EV world - so we don't get stuck with 1 brand that looks like an egg, has fit and finish of a blind assembler, and is run by a person that thinks antisemitism is ok. Not an f'in chance I'll ever own any product from any company he's associated with if I can help it.

For those taking any vehicle on the road for Thanksgiving week, you're crazy. Couldn't pay me to travel this week, regardless of vehicle or mode of travel.

Anyway, focus on the negative all you want. Sell your car for 1/3 of the value because it's not the right time to sell and you don't want to put the time and energy into a private sale.

I prefer to enjoy my two EVs, and tell others of the advantages, and challenges, in owning one.

 

[voxel]

Here is my issue with EV road tripping. There are two types of road trips: (1) driving to grandma's house with your 2.5 kids, spouse, and dog for Thanksgiving, and (2) a walkabout exploratory trip where you may have a destination but not a path.

Trip version No. 2 is the problem. For me personally my road trips are for pleasure. It's not pleasurable to have to constantly map a path based on fuel consumption and fuel stops availability. If i wanted to plan that much, I'd just stay at my office and work.

Set-destination trips are easy and more conveniently planned because the route is known, it's all very mathematical. I rarely take trips like version 1, but when I do it's mostly to family just 100 miles away. If I stay awhile then I'd plug in at a family/friend's house and recover some range for the trip home (I'd reimburse them for the juice too).

Paying $45K to $60K for a car that can't perform road trip version 2 is just pointless IMO. It doesn't mater if I road trip just three or four times a year and commute daily well within the EV's range limitation, it's still a waste of money.

If I were a car buyer that had no over-night private charging capability, then that's game over, even if it was a Tesla.

While I 100% recommend driving an ICE car for long road trips, I 10000000% recommend an EV for daily trips or commuting.

Renting a Camry for a week while on vacation - made me hate ICE cars for city driving. 95% of the time I'm within a city so why torture yourself with a noisy unsmooth slow tractor? I still use my GC for infrequent road trips and to escape hurricanes but I would never go back to an ICE car for commuting.

 

[nvabill]

We've never taken any trip where we had a destination and not a path. As someone who also enjoys planning, I'm sure we never will either.

Today, you can take all the trips you want in an EV as long as you plan - with the caveat that you can quite easily come up with a near impossible EV trip. Come Spring 2024 with 15,000 SuperChargers, it will be harder to come up with an impossible trip.

Some on this forum, including those that don't own the car, or don't own it any longer, want to focus on all the potential issues, including the ridiculous one of value on an unsold asset. My bond funds are down 16%, but I'm not selling - so who gives a damn?

In our October trip, the failed HVBJB cost me about 14 hours. Yes, that sucks. Yes, some days when I sat at the charger I was pissed. Yes, Ford could have handled it a lot better. But, when I bought these vehicles I told my dealer "you're going to F this up, and Ford's going to F this up." I knew it would be painful at times, but I'm going to help take them kicking and screaming into the EV world - so we don't get stuck with 1 brand that looks like an egg, has fit and finish of a blind assembler, and is run by a person that thinks antisemitism is ok. Not an f'in chance I'll every own any product from any company he's associated with if I can help it.

For those taking any vehicle on the road for Thanksgiving week, you're crazy. Couldn't pay me to travel this week, regardless of vehicle or mode of travel.

Anyway, focus on the negative all you want. Sell your car for 1/3 of the value because it's not the right time to sell and you don't want to put the time and energy into a private sale.

I prefer to enjoy my two EVs, and tell others of the advantages, and challenges, in owning one.

Well put Rick!

 

[voxel]

I have no such problem. A BMW straight 6 is as smooth as any EV and hardly any louder at speed. Far better than a Model 3 (maybe Tesla has improved them since model year 2018).

Nah.. while I would like a B58 M3 comp for track days... no thanks to ICE as a commuter. It's not like I haven't owned various ICE cars in the past 3 years either... Telluride SX, Sequoia TRD Pro, a Bronco, etc. But every vehicle has it's purpose.

EVs have linear power without a janky transmission and smooth one-pedal driving. We once used corded phones and dot-matrix printers too.

 

[stealthytolkien]

Nah.. while I would like a B58 M3 comp for track days... no thanks to ICE as a commuter. It's not like I haven't owned various ICE cars in the past 3 years either... Telluride SX, Sequoia TRD Pro, a Bronco, etc. But every vehicle has it's purpose.

EVs have linear power without a janky transmission and smooth one-pedal driving. We once used corded phones and dot-matrix printers too.

On straight highways, 6 cylinder ICEs in top gear at 75-80 mph are like hot knife through butter. Especially the coasting part when going downhill that EVs inherently don’t have. It’s the most liberating feeling ever when driving an ICE.

In and around town, ICEs just suck now that we know how EVs drive in that scenario. We never once touch our ICE for it. Road trips, Tesla is much easier, MME is a bit of a hassle, but irrespective of the charging situation, the ICE just drives more comfortably on highways at constant speeds. And the gas and go convenience is unbeatable.

 

[ChehRob]

As I have mentioned earlier, I plan on making an offer on a late model used MME sometime early next year. Sib wants my RAV and will keep her old car as a spare for a bunch of us. Is it possible that I could buyout someone's lease if they needed/wanted to drop the car? Also, what is the apprx price of buying an extended warrantee for a one or two year old MME?

With that used MME I am expecting a lot of fun and enjoyment, and putting off buying a new car until I can realistically compare the very different CT, Lyric, and the then new and improved MME.

 

[Motomax]

That's not true though. In fact it's quite the opposite. Tesla has ALL of their factory service manuals online, for FREE. I've never known a single manufacturer to give that out for free.

There is also an extensive "service mode" (freely accessible by the owner) that constantly gets updates/improvements. Tesla doesn't want to be in the car repair business. Skim the video to get the idea.





Nothing to add on anything else... just wanted to correct that misconception

They put out manuals but can you actually buy parts? Will Tesla ship me a battery or motor? Can I have access to the software that I need to reprogram the computers for any replacement component?
they’ve come a long way from not letting you buy a hubcap but still not at the same level as other manufacturers. Although, the other guys are also moving in this direction. Repairs is their only way to continue to make money. Current right to repair laws are BS and still allow manufacturers to price gouge and put up road blocks. Look at Apple, they complied with the law but made it more expensive to make your own authorized repairs lol.

 

[ARK]

I'm a road trip nerd too, but more in a "use a paper map" (yeah I'm a Boomer too, lol) kind of way as a plan of general direction and discover along the way.

Over the past 26 years or so I've accomplished numerous trips on our touring motorcycle that has a 220-mile fuel range, so using a vehicle with limited range is not new to me. Yet, even on a bike, fuel planning is not critical as it is in an EV.

But on such trips I have found the center of the North American continent, the center of the CONUS United States, the headwaters of the Potomac, Susquehanna, and Mississippi rivers (to name a few). None of those were planned destinations, just places found along the way. Once we found a farm in Oklahoma, devastated by a tornado or perhaps just a huge wind storm. The place was left intact from a weather event that happened multiple decades ago. A museum-quality life-size diorama left in its natural state, untouched by the modern age.

Such unplanned discoveries I would think are missed over concern of range and fuel availability roaming in an EV.

Just to make the point about cups of tea.

I don’t think there is anything inherently limiting to exploring with EVs unless you are somewhere truly remote where you have no scope for a detour because there is literally one charger ahead of you and you will barely make it to it as it is.

On the contrary, I think EVs actually encourage more exploration if you have an open mind because an EV forces a person to stop when they might have preferred to just power through a long drive or at most just stop for 5 min for gas/snacks.

At least that's been my experience. I've been on two EV roadtrips where I had to stop to charge and both times, I made the most of it, checking out places I would not otherwise ever have bothered stopping at. Sometimes, my thought was 'yup, I can see why this place isn't on any travel brochure', and other times, 'wow, this is really a hidden gem, I'm glad I got to see this'. It's the nature of the beast and attitude is key.

 

[ChasingCoral]

I keep reading that you can't take these on trips, guess I should stop doing that. And someone tell @dbsb3233 and @ChasingCoral...

Although our longest trip was with the Lightning, pulling a 24' travel trailer from Maryland to CA and back via the southern route.

 

[RickMachE]

Although our longest trip was with the Lightning, pulling a 24' travel trailer from Maryland to CA and back via the southern route.

Editor's note:

Since taking trips in EVs in not possible, claim of a coast to coast trip, and back again, with a travel trailer, is very doubtful. Imagine, driving 120 miles, charging, driving 120 miles, charging, ...

Totally ridiculous! ? ? ? ?

P.S. I often tell people what you did to make their eyes bug out

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