The First One On The Block

[MaskedRacerX]

I agree about Tesla doing well. Maybe it's just that people don't trust that Ford can do an EV well and they are waiting for a few years to find out over time.

Or Ford people tend to be different people than the people who buy Teslas and other EVs.

Yeah, it's a tricky (or "trucky") marketspace right now if you're not: Tesla, high-end or even a PHEV.

There seems to be a ton of excitement over [B|PH] F-150 EVs, maybe because even the more radical designs still look like a truck, and they're badged under the __truck__ designation.

FFS, Ford doesn't make it easy either, I was looking at the Mach-E area on Ford.com, you can reserve, which THEN leads into a configurator (vs. the expected "build" after selecting a model variant), then there's specs that are achievable with "extra options", that don't seem to be present in the configurator[?]

And just when everyone figures out that the common - and superior - big, giant display orientation is landscape (even Tesla ... finally ...), Ford shows up with a big ol' portrait display (only to be outdone by the WTF portrait, old tech, optional display in the Explorer ...)

I mean, they're getting pretty solid reviews, so for the most part (my bitching notwithstanding), the implementation seems reasonably decent. However, I think you're onto something with the buyer demo vs. a Ford EV. I talk to a number of number of people, close friends, a few neighbors, family, and they're either interested in Tesla or in the lower-ish end market (which even includes like a Model 3 SR) something from VW, Kia, Hyundai, in the more mid-market Volvo, BMW, and in the higher end, truck/SUV products from Rivian, Volvo, Audi, higher end from Tesla, Lucid (who's also got an SUV planned that looks stunning).

And then there's a ton of people who seem to be interested in dipping their toe into the EV waters, but aren't fully committed to a BEV, who are shopping the PHEV market where Toyota is doing a decent job, and there's a bunch of fun/utility type vehicles that benefit from better MPG, much more power, without any range anxiety (this would include us, per my previous comment about a Wrangler 4XE, which may actually happen THIS month )

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[sigintel]

Is the Kia faster? crap.. ugggh

 

[circatee]

FWIW, Tesla sold 185,000 cars Q1 2021 - that includes Model Y sales in China which was a non-trivial number - but clearly there’s a notable demand.

I think there’s decent movement in the higher end market (Porsche sold 20K Taycans last year), I think there's some branding/product positioning issue with Ford/the Mach-E, and in the sub 50K-market in general, you have to compare everything against Tesla who has a __huge__ advantage with their charging network.

You've got VW getting pretty rave reviews over their new platforms, that include the ID.4, which I'd probably buy over a Mach-E, and the AWD/R version due out this year.

We're very likely buying a Wrangler 4XE in the next month or so, always wanted a Wrangler, and the extra power (by way of the PH system), $7500 tax credit perk, etc., makes it super compelling. Can't wait to sneak around the beach, totally silent

Not that I am thinking of an electric car. But, I am beginning to love the idea of my car being 'silent'. the whole to be seen, and not heard.

About 20 years ago, while home, in London, a Rolls drove past me, and I remarked that had I not looked before crossing the road, it would have hit me. I simply did not hear it at all.

I am now driving a Ford EDGE ST, and you barely hear that thing. Even more so, considering I came from a 2018 Mustang GT PP1...

 

[CJJon]

Not that I am thinking of an electric car. But, I am beginning to love the idea of my car being 'silent'. the whole to be seen, and not heard.

About 20 years ago, while home, in London, a Rolls drove past me, and I remarked that had I not looked before crossing the road, it would have hit me. I simply did not hear it at all.

I am now driving a Ford EDGE ST, and you barely hear that thing. Even more so, considering I came from a 2018 Mustang GT PP1...

EV's are far from silent. Most have fake noise piped out via a speaker to avoid running over people. I heard a Toyota (I think) yesterday and it was comical the noise it was making. I actually LOL'd.

 

[Vlad Soare]

Not that I am thinking of an electric car. But, I am beginning to love the idea of my car being 'silent'. the whole to be seen, and not heard.

About 20 years ago, while home, in London, a Rolls drove past me, and I remarked that had I not looked before crossing the road, it would have hit me. I simply did not hear it at all.

Having owned a hybrid, I can tell you that's not as much fun as it seems. I bought the hybrid precisely because I had fallen in love with the idea of driving in perfect silence on narrow streets and driveways. But the novelty wore off quickly. Having to drive at 1 mph behind a pedestrian who can't hear you (and you can't honk, lest people think you're a moron), or worse still, having to slam on the brakes to avoid running over a pedestrian who steps suddenly in front of your car, becomes extremely wearisome when it happens for the tenth time that week.

 

[circatee]

Not to throw the thread in a spiral. But, I often find it weird when people are nervous to use their horn, no matter the situation. After all, it was designed to alert someone of your presence, no?

 

[CJJon]

I used to have a Dodge that had an inner ring around the steering wheel. One quick squeeze and the horn would sound. I used that horn the most. Having to move my hand to the center of the wheel slows my reaction time.

 

[Vlad Soare]

How do you say, "Move your fucking ass", in Romanian? See, in America (at the least the NE) we have no such qualms about letting people know they need to get the fuck outta the way.

Not to throw the thread in a spiral. But, I often find it weird when people are nervous to use their horn, no matter the situation. After all, it was designed to alert someone of your presence, no?

Well, that depends.
I have no qualms whatsoever about using the horn under normal driving circumstances. Actually, in Romania the horn is perhaps the most useful and most used feature of a car. We do honk a lot. And I do honk a lot, too.

But I was talking about situations where you drive slowly on a small alleyway in a quiet neighborhood. Some of them do not have a pavement, so pedestrians have no other choice than to share the road with the cars. Or, when there is a pavement, it's occupied by parked cars, so again pedestrians are forced to walk on the road. Some cars (including the hybrid Mondeo I was talking about) have an awfully loud horn. You can't use it behind an unattentive old man, or a mother going for a walk with her kid. At least I can't. They don't mean any harm, they aren't walking on the street out of malice or because they're morons. I can't be mean to them.
Where I work, the way to the underground garage goes straight through the courtyard of the company, where dozens of people walk between buildings, or towards the cafeteria or the smoking place. I can't drive through the yard honking like a madmad or shouting obscenities at them. They're my colleagues.

The silence of an electric or hybrid vehicle is no problem at speed. Above 20 miles an hour the noise from the tyres is enough to alert everybody that a car is approaching. The problem only arises when you drive very slowly. And driving very slowly usually happens in situations and places where honking is not appropriate, especially when you have a horn that wakes the dead.

 

[GT]

One fast Mustang!

 

[Hack]

Starting MSRP for a SUV built by Ford - $60k. If it were in the 30s it would be great. In the 40s, not terrible. Starting in the 60s is just ridiculous.

I'm not in the market for something without a manual transmission and it's way too big of a barge for me, but do people really think 60K is a good price for this?

 

[GT]

The price is definitely tough but there is the $7500 tax credit & its as fast as a GT500 lol.

 

[Rapid Red]

The price is definitely tough but there is the $7500 tax credit & its as fast as a GT500 lol.

Top end or just 0-60, wait until the battery needs service. Then a whole different tune will be sung and the hand ringing begins. Think there will be a disposable charge as in tires, you can bet that's out there.

Love the idea of these sold second hand ............ well it charged the last time I tried to drive it .

 

[DrumReaper]

Top end or just 0-60, wait until the battery needs service. Then a whole different tune will be sung and the hand ringing begins. Think there will be a disposable charge as in tires, you can bet that's out there.

Love the idea of these sold second hand ............ well it charged the last time I tried to drive it .

Interesting… Ford has an 8 year/100k warranty on the battery, and IIRC, in the 7th year the battery will be tested and if it falls below a certain percentage of utility, it will be replaced under warranty.

May wanna research those things before crapping it.

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