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

[trutolife27]

What people are forgetting. Is the massive cost of marketing. Tesla is doing it with none. Only word of mouth and internet. The game plan for marketing will keep shrinking and the goodie days are dying. It's going to what people said they want. Hi, I want this order here it is. Don't like it, make a review. Have a good day.
50 years from now most things will be purchased direct. The middle man is getting pushed out. Times have changed.

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[timbop]

*opinion* What is there when you buy the car should stay with the car. If they want to add new features/updates/services at a charge then great but functionality that was there should not be taken away from the car

Except that it seems every company wants to move to a subscription model. For one that allows them to charge more in the end because "$x amonth" is a lot more palatable then a onetime fee of $50x or $100x. For another it allows a reliable revenue stream rather than hoping a customer returns at some point in the future to buy another one. The great thing about BEV's is that they have fewer parts and SHOULD require less maintenance as well as a longer service life - which theoretically reduces revenues for manufacturers.

Ultimately it means they can build better products if they have an ongoing revenue stream. The alternative is continued built in obsolescence.

 

[agoldman]

If Life itself isn't a simulation, it certainly seems to be becoming a subscription.

 

[ChasingCoral]

According to the window sticker:

CNCTD BLT-IN NAV(3-YR INC) ​

After 3 years, it stops being connected, unless you renew. You can still use the navigation without being connected, but any updates would not be loaded. Most of roads and streets won't change, but things like points of interest would become static.

Maybe.

Some of these sorts of subscription services on earlier Ford vehicles were supposed to be free for a few years, then paid subscription. At that point, Ford decided not to bother with the charge. All we know now is that these navigation services are included for 3 years. In a few years we'll find out if we have to pay or not. If we do, it will probably be a modest cost.

Note that this is definitely separate from the WiFi hotspot subscription that is only free for 3 months, then requires service from ATT at a fee.

 

[Illinibird]

What people are forgetting. Is the massive cost of marketing. Tesla is doing it with none. Only word of mouth and internet. The game plan for marketing will keep shrinking and the goodie days are dying. It's going to what people said they want. Hi, I want this order here it is. Don't like it, make a review. Have a good day.
50 years from now most things will be purchased direct. The middle man is getting pushed out. Times have changed.

Agree! Couldn’t have been said better. Now all we need to do is get Ford to talk to us during the purchasing process.

 

[shutterbug]

What people are forgetting. Is the massive cost of marketing. Tesla is doing it with none. Only word of mouth and internet. The game plan for marketing will keep shrinking and the goodie days are dying. It's going to what people said they want. Hi, I want this order here it is. Don't like it, make a review. Have a good day.
50 years from now most things will be purchased direct. The middle man is getting pushed out. Times have changed.

The "middlemen" aren't disappearing, they are consolidating. Think of all the retailers that are gone thanks to Walmart, Target, Amazon, etc. We even see it among car dealers. Think Berkshire Hathaway, Autonation, etc. I've no idea what the business environment will be 50 years from now, just that I won't care and will just be pushing up daisies (like most of us here )

 

[dbsb3233]

Maybe.

Some of these sorts of subscription services on earlier Ford vehicles were supposed to be free for a few years, then paid subscription. At that point, Ford decided not to bother with the charge. All we know now is that these navigation services are included for 3 years. In a few years we'll find out if we have to pay or not. If we do, it will probably be a modest cost.

Note that this is definitely separate from the WiFi hotspot subscription that is only free for 3 months, then requires service from ATT at a fee.

Especially since Android Auto for Google Maps is sitting right there for people to use instead.

Although then we're probably still talking data subscription. But people would probably be more willing to pay for that because it does more things.

Another question is will new charger locations require the map updates? Seems like it would be harder to justify charging a subscription fee for that.

 

[shutterbug]

Another question is will new charger locations require the map updates? Seems like it would be harder to justify charging a subscription fee for that.

I think it will. Why would it be harder to justify it for charging locations, compared with location of the latest Costco or Walmart?

 

[DBC]

Especially since Android Auto for Google Maps is sitting right there for people to use instead.

Although then we're probably still talking data subscription. But people would probably be more willing to pay for that because it does more things.

Another question is will new charger locations require the map updates? Seems like it would be harder to justify charging a subscription fee for that.

Agree with this perspective. Can't imagine using the MME's navigation given Android Auto and Apple Carplay. Ditto for charger location or any data subscription. Some people might want the WiFi hotspot subscription but I've never found I've needed that either.

However, for handsfree the digital maps will need to be upgraded, which I'd assume would be included in the subscription fee for that.

FWIW I like subscription models for software so I'm not opposed to the idea of a subscription. And of course anyone who has a closed end lease is committed big time to a subscription model. LOL Less so for an open end lease but definitely getting there.

 

[dbsb3233]

I think it will. Why would it be harder to justify it for charging locations, compared with location of the latest Costco or Walmart?

Because it's such an integral part of the vehicle, and what they're pushing to sell it with. The ease of "just put in the destination and let the car worry about recharging locations" thing.

 

[Deleted member 2014]

Had to call the cops on one of these *word deleted* for trying to run my BMW i3 off the road about 5 years ago. Utterly ridiculous.

Unfortunately our planet never runs out of idiots...

 

[ChasingCoral]

Agree with this perspective. Can't imagine using the MME's navigation given Android Auto and Apple Carplay. Ditto for charger location or any data subscription. Some people might want the WiFi hotspot subscription but I've never found I've needed that either.

However, for handsfree the digital maps will need to be upgraded, which I'd assume would be included in the subscription fee for that.

FWIW I like subscription models for software so I'm not opposed to the idea of a subscription. And of course anyone who has a closed end lease is committed big time to a subscription model. LOL Less so for an open end lease but definitely getting there.

For day-to-day navigation I'll probably stick with Waze. However, for road trips I see value of using the built-in navigation if it works as advertised. Including topography, maybe weather, and updated charging station info will be important in those cases. There may be a good way to run both FordPass and Waze navigation together. We'll see.

 

[shutterbug]

Unfortunately our planet never runs out of idiots...

No chance of improvement in the long term either. 20 years from now this country will be run by people who were home-schooled by day drinkers

 

[shutterbug]

Because it's such an integral part of the vehicle, and what they're pushing to sell it with. The ease of "just put in the destination and let the car worry about recharging locations" thing.

Will have to see, but I think that any updates after 3 years will require subscription. Side note: when I bought my C-Max, its satnav included at least 2 EV1 charging stations, a full 10 years after the last EV1 was gone.

 

[Jimrpa]

Agree with this perspective. Can't imagine using the MME's navigation given Android Auto and Apple Carplay. Ditto for charger location or any data subscription. Some people might want the WiFi hotspot subscription but I've never found I've needed that either.

However, for handsfree the digital maps will need to be upgraded, which I'd assume would be included in the subscription fee for that.

FWIW I like subscription models for software so I'm not opposed to the idea of a subscription. And of course anyone who has a closed end lease is committed big time to a subscription model. LOL Less so for an open end lease but definitely getting there.

I’d like to offer a perspective as a HUGE apple fanboy. My opinion of CarPlay? Meh. I’ve tried it a few times and prefer Sync 3 to CarPlay. The experience is smoother and more integrated. And I’ve cross checked Apple Maps routing against Sync routing and they’re usually identical with similar timing. Maybe if apple controlled the end-to-end platform, it would be a different thing, but honestly, the iPhone UI really isn’t optimized for a car, no matter how much you enlarge and simplify it. You have to “pay attention” to the iPhone UI. With Sync 3, I normally don’t fiddle with the UI. I use voice commands, or the hard buttons (volume, occasionally tune up/down to go to an adjacent SiriusXM station). I can’t comment on the Android infrastructure, I know nothing of it.

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