Update on Mach-E launch progress from engineering friends in Mexico

[AndyS_OSU]

I am sure that they are doing the best they can given the circumstances. It's just so frustrating that we are so close but yet so far. I knew that once they had got production going and cars were being made impatience would kick in. No matter how much you tell yourself to calm down and wait your turn, you just want your turn to be yesterday and not tomorrow. I'll compromise and settle for today

I was elated last November being an early order and the prospect of having it delivered right about as my previous lease was maturing in late November 2020, letting me seamlessly transition into what I thought would be maybe a slightly more expensive lease but totally worth it...

yeah COVID. And now everything is a giant mess losing out on federal and state tax credits/rebates with the delay. It’s like pouring salt in the wound of a delayed delivery.

But there’s nothing we can do about it I guess. So, much like any outing on the golf course for me, I’ve settled into the notion that I’m going to shank it into the woods every other hole and I might as well just have more beer and enjoy the nice weather instead of getting an ulcer about it.

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[Jimrpa]

Now we have something to argue about, because clearly the red one is always faster. Until we get the orange one, of course.

I might have gone with silver if not for my current vehicle... maybe I should have gotten that bright blue FE and keep all one color fenders, ?

Checks with spouse, she says I "can't" get a GT no matter how well I like the MME. I mean if the car is really hers anyway...

Clearly Infinite Blue is best! As Buzz Lightyear said - “To Infinity and Beyond!”

 

[GoGoGadgetMachE]

Does anyone have video of a DCFC session from inside and from outside a car? I'm curious now.

I've been told elsewhere on here this is all you'll have in a Tesla while charging.

 

[GoGoGadgetMachE]

My dealer said that is how they plan to do it when the time comes - virtual discussion and finalization and just go sign and be done

I dunno - I got a call from my dealer on Friday (answering machine message [*]; didn't talk to them, wasn't home at the time) saying "um so we are looking at your invoice and there's some things we don't understand - can we talk about it?"

???‍?‍

[*] yes I'm old and still have a landline but it's exactly because I don't want to give my cell number out to everyone.

 

[dbsb3233]

I think the real issue is timing. Until they resolved the last issue with the car that needed to be fixed, they couldn't book space on a specific ship/sailing. Now they have to get allocated space at the last minute, which can't be easy - they'll likely have to piecemeal the first cars over whatever space remains on imminent departures. The same is probably true for rail lines - there is a complex network of rail lines owned by different entities each with their own scheduling. That's probably why they're supplementing with trucks, although those too aren't necessarily just sitting around waiting for a call from Ford.

Yep. I presume they had most of the shipping arrangements already tentatively arranged. But at the same time, it needs to remain fluid. You don't want to be fully committed to paying for all forms of shipping for 2 weeks while OKTB slips and just have all that capacity sit there unused. I suspect the entire shipping process for the industry is a very sophisticated, dynamic process of allocating resources. This has to happen all the time, not just with new models but all models, where the plant has to delay production temporarily for a problem or a part shortage. And those transport resources get reallocated dynamically.

There's nearly a dozen vehicle assembly plants in the same region.

 

[ClaudeMach-E]

I think the real issue is timing. Until they resolved the last issue with the car that needed to be fixed, they couldn't book space on a specific ship/sailing. Now they have to get allocated space at the last minute, which can't be easy - they'll likely have to piecemeal the first cars over whatever space remains on imminent departures. The same is probably true for rail lines - there is a complex network of rail lines owned by different entities each with their own scheduling. That's probably why they're supplementing with trucks, although those too aren't necessarily just sitting around waiting for a call from Ford.

Besides the fact that with Covid things change quickly. This summer most country had succeded to control it but now everywhere it's going crazy. So I think Ford is doing the best in these conditions.

 

[engnrng]

I don't blame companies for not wanting to get involved in a political debate when the electorate is polarized. So no doubt GM doesn't win any points for switching sides. However, Ford did as well. It led the charge to have the Trump administration change the fuel economy standard -- which created the mess -- before signing onto the CARB agreement.

The GM position seemed bizarre to me given its investment in EVs and its impressive platform, not to mention its fuel cell technologies. It may have thought that supporting the revised standards would result in the Trump administration supporting or at least not putting the kibosh on the extended tax credit legislation. Of course that didn't work but it may have been the reasoning.

Another irony will be if Mary Nichols, the current head of CARB, is nominated to head the EPA. She would kinda end up suing herself like in a family matter: Nichols vs. Nichols. (JK about suing herself).

Don't want to side track this thread, only 1 comment here. Both Ford and GM controlling interests are actually people: Board Members, CEO, President, and probably dozens of others, and their influence waxes and wanes over time. In other words, Corporate in both companies are run by committees or groups, so GM and Ford did not "change sides" so much as someone or some other group within the organization became more influential for a time.

 

[jhalkias]

I can empathize....my spouse was adamant that I NOT choose Grabber Blue. She claimed it looked too much like a toy and not a grown up vehicle. Fight the battles you can win gentlemen.

My wife wanted me to get gray, and was a definite NO on Grabber Blue. So . . . Red!

 

[janitorjim]

My wife wanted me to get gray, and was a definite NO on Grabber Blue. So . . . Red!

you are going to get more speeding tickets because it is red. It is a proven fact because it was a proven fact before the internet was a big thing. Just like 7up is a cure when you get a cold or flu or covid (last one has not been internet proven).

 

[Badger_Prof]

you are going to get more speeding tickets because it is red. It is a proven fact because it was a proven fact before the internet was a big thing. Just like 7up is a cure when you get a cold or flu or covid (last one has not been internet proven).

That same research that shows 7Up is a magic cure shows that people who drive fast purchase red cars. Cars don't kill people, drivers do.

 

[highland58]

I am not normally a fan of red cars, but the color choices were not good. One plus is I did not have to change colors when I got suckered by the Mach Drop fiasco. I did have a red Ford Escort GT years ago.

 

[GoGoGadgetMachE]

I am not normally a fan of red cars, but the color choices were not good. One plus is I did not have to change colors when I got suckered by the Mach Drop fiasco. I did have a red Ford Escort GT years ago.

I think the limited number of colors is a legitimate criticism of what's happened here. It's not 100% clear to me why that would be the case - paint color selection in a painting area is sort of a zero-one-infinity (*) kind of problem. I'm sure Ford had its reasons, but it would be nice if the selection was wider and deeper.

(*) a computer science concept that says that for any given problem statement, you will never have to solve it ("zero"), have to solve it exactly once ("one"), or many many times ("infinity"), which impacts how you design the solution.

 

[mamejunkie]

I can empathize....my spouse was adamant that I NOT choose Grabber Blue. She claimed it looked too much like a toy and not a grown up vehicle. Fight the battles you can win gentlemen.

Yes, that's why I no longer fight with my wife anymore.

 

[JellyBelly]

I dunno - I got a call from my dealer on Friday (answering machine message [*]; didn't talk to them, wasn't home at the time) saying "um so we are looking at your invoice and there's some things we don't understand - can we talk about it?"

???‍?‍

[*] yes I'm old and still have a landline but it's exactly because I don't want to give my cell number out to everyone.

May be they are wondering why you did not get the GT?

 

[JellyBelly]

I can empathize....my spouse was adamant that I NOT choose Grabber Blue. She claimed it looked too much like a toy and not a grown up vehicle. Fight the battles you can win gentlemen.

Exactly same - debating the Mach Drop color, my kids and wife were all NO to Grabber Blue - looks like a toy color and not suited for an adult - Grey was a NO from me - so Red it is for the Mach Drop FE. I am likely to keep the FE and not take the Premium IB (cant keep waiting even though premium is better value )

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