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

[dbsb3233]

I disagree. First all updates will be available by OTA. Yes new downloads will likely cost extra money but your car will still have all of the new stuff.

Only for hardware and designs that exists now though. There will be lots of new stuff that comes along in the next 10... 20... 30 years that's way better.

Would you still be driving a 1990 model today, even if it had OTA updates? Unlikely. Just the styling alone will cause most buyers to move on. We always think they new car we're buying now is the greatest ever... until we buy the next one a decade later. Then the next one a decade after that.

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[dbsb3233]

The estimated cost per pack is about $2000. So even if you had to replace all 6 then $12,000 for a new car is not much.

Ford is charging $5000 for an extra 24 kWh now (jumping from the 75 kWh pack to the 99). Projecting that to the whole 99 kWh pack pegs it at almost $20,000.

Maybe it only costs Ford $12k (don't really know), but what they'd actually sell it for is surely higher than cost.

But those prices should continue to trend downward in the coming years.

 

[highland58]

Only for hardware and designs that exists now though. There will be lots of new stuff that comes along in the next 10... 20... 30 years that's way better.

Would you still be driving a 1990 model today, even if it had OTA updates? Unlikely. Just the styling alone will cause most buyers to move on. We always think they new car we're buying now is the greatest ever... until we buy the next one a decade later. Then the next one a decade after that.

Yes, my 50" Pioneer Elite Pro-110FD plasma TV cost $4800 in 2007 and was one of the best at the time. 10 years later I replaced it with a 65" LG 4k OLED for $2000. I gave away the old TV, it still worked fine but it was essentially used up. I would expect the same level of change for BEVs ten years from now, a 600 mile range with a much lighter battery.

 

[malba2366]

Ford is charging $5000 for an extra 24 kWh now (jumping from the 75 kWh pack to the 99). Projecting that to the whole 99 kWh pack pegs it at almost $20,000.

Maybe it only costs Ford $12k (don't really know), but what they'd actually sell it for is surely higher than cost.

But those prices should continue to trend downward in the coming years.

I remember reading that industry averages for EVs right now are around $140/kwh for a full pack and the prediction is they will hit $100 in 2023. So it is almost certain by the time anyone here will have to pay for a new battery the prices will be significantly lower. Hopefully Ford has engineered the vehicle in such a way that it is not a huge undertaking to replace the battery cells.

 

[stroszek]

I would absolutely still run a 90s car if it wasn't an entire hobby to maintain them.

 

[SteveUk]

I think it's best to estimate more realistically on the car life span. After around 4 years I want a change! And expect it to be worth a third of its orginal value and I will have done circa 60 to 70k miles. By then I would also expect ota updates to have stopped.

 

[buffasnow]

Higher frequencies have shorter ranges for the same power level, so the ultra wideband 5G will probably have to have a lot of towers close to the roads being travelled for a seamless reception while travelling. I just switched to Verizon in hopes that they will have UW5G in the Seattle area before long.

Yes, higher carrier frequency = smaller coverage area but higher data speed, all other things being equal. MANY more towers will be required for the same coverage area using UW-type 5G speeds.
5G is being implemented on mid and low bands as well, with lower data speeds but better coverage & building penetration as the freq goes down. This is why you see commercials saying one provider's 4G is faster than anothers 5G. Different flavors of 5G get you different experiences.
Disclaimer: Verizon employee but I have nothing to do with wireless and I do not speak for them.

 

[TheVirtualTim]

Hopefully this will be much less of an issue in a couple of years once the 5G network gets built out. The super fast version of 5G is publicized most often, but a parallel version I think all the networks are also building should also noticeably improve coverage even if the speeds are only somewhat faster than 4G (which is plenty fast for the types of mobile uses currently in existence).

5G seems to be better for home use (a wireless replacement for broadband such as cable Internet) than for mobile usage while in a car moving down the road. 5G has *VERY* limited range from the antennas. To cover a neighborhood a 5G antenna is needed every few blocks. At freeway speeds ... you're in range of a single 5G antenna for literally seconds (not minutes).

When you are in range ... it's CRAZY fast speed. But you aren't in range for long.

 

[JamieGeek]

5G seems to be better for home use (a wireless replacement for broadband such as cable Internet) than for mobile usage while in a car moving down the road. 5G has *VERY* limited range from the antennas. To cover a neighborhood a 5G antenna is needed every few blocks. At freeway speeds ... you're in range of a single 5G antenna for literally seconds (not minutes).

When you are in range ... it's CRAZY fast speed. But you aren't in range for long.

Don't forget that the fast version of 5G also doesn't penetrate walls so likely wouldn't work from inside a car anyway.

 

[TheVirtualTim]

Yes. I really wish they would just let me plug in my own sim card and add the car to my family plan.

I agree ... or a programmable eSIM that I can set to any carrier.

Most phone plans include Internet so the notion of a WiFi hotspot in a car is probably more useful to a person who needs to use a laptop (such as someone who has a sales job that involves a lot of driving).

I don't expect many people will opt for the WiFi hot-spot.

 

[JamieGeek]

I agree ... or a programmable eSIM that I can set to any carrier.

Most phone plans include Internet so the notion of a WiFi hotspot in a car is probably more useful to a person who needs to use a laptop (such as someone who has a sales job that involves a lot of driving).

I don't expect many people will opt for the WiFi hot-spot.

WiFi hotspots have been available in cars for some time now.

I wonder if now its just a checkbox: "The other guys have it so we must also--we don't care if anyone uses it". Since the car allows remote access and thus needs the cellular modem anyway it is likely that the cost for the hot-spot isn't much.

 

[eastern refugee]

WiFi hotspots have been available in cars for some time now.

I wonder if now its just a checkbox: "The other guys have it so we must also--we don't care if anyone uses it". Since the car allows remote access and thus needs the cellular modem anyway it is likely that the cost for the hot-spot isn't much.

I checked it with ATT as they are the ONLY company that ford will use. It is either $20/month unlimited or $200 for the year. In short it is not very much. I also expect a monthly bill for the OTA service as well. I expect that to be in the $20 a month range. I know that the basic OTA are free but I would think if you want the brand new stuff there will be a separate subscription fee just like micorsoft does for office and most other internet companies.

 

[GoGoGadgetMachE]

WiFi hotspots have been available in cars for some time now.

I wonder if now its just a checkbox: "The other guys have it so we must also--we don't care if anyone uses it". Since the car allows remote access and thus needs the cellular modem anyway it is likely that the cost for the hot-spot isn't much.

basically this. the hotspot is a well-known bit of software to add to the car's software at this point. all the hardware has to be there for OTA (both cell and wi-fi), and modern wi-fi hardware all has the support for being an access point in hardware; it's a small amount of software to make it happen, plus some UI to configure it. it's nearly zero cost to the carmaker, and I'm sure they get a cut from AT&T for each subscription - so even if a small fraction turn it on, it's worth doing from a cost/benefit viewpoint.

 

[ChasingCoral]

Only for hardware and designs that exists now though. There will be lots of new stuff that comes along in the next 10... 20... 30 years that's way better.

Would you still be driving a 1990 model today, even if it had OTA updates? Unlikely. Just the styling alone will cause most buyers to move on. We always think they new car we're buying now is the greatest ever... until we buy the next one a decade later. Then the next one a decade after that.

I’m still driving a 2003 pickup truck.

 

[Shayne]

Possibly bluetooth distance estimation.

I’m still driving a 2003 pickup truck.

I am feeling quite modern and high society now with my 2009 4x4 Reg Cab . Guess we are both up grading just a wee bit.

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