Interviews on Lightning: Jim Farley, Linda Zhang, Doug Field and Darren Palmer

[GDN]

When I first learned of Sandy several years ago I wasn't a fan, I've changed. All of the manufactures listen as he tears their cars apart. I love at the 30 minute mark he basically just calls it out. Ford has to make changes. They have issues with plants and people.

The biggest negative I see and have a problem with - all 3 of them focus very much on software and talk about how critical it is, yet I don't know if they can see, it, but this is their weakest link. I will give them a couple of years, I know it has to be tuned, but you have to listen to your owners, you have to be smart about innovating, you have to cut out the fat/BS, you have to streamline the UI, you have to tune the drive and they have work to do, they are behind. I hope someone reminds them daily until they truly put their money where their mouth is.

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[Griddlez]

Key points from the Palmer interview for me were --

• The HVJB (the issue where Mach-e's are dying on the side of the road currently) is not the same box used in the Lightning and additional stress testing for the Lightning over the Mach-e has been done.

• Patch is "1-2" weeks out for FCSP Update to give 10 more degrees on the unit.

• A new HMI update is coming out soon they are proud of.

• They may release more battery/range for the lightning in the future based on driver's charging habits (90% vs 100).

• The tires breaking loose (hard launch) isn't torque steer per Palmer and there are no plans currently to "fix" unless customers want the power reduced

 

[sotek2345]

Key points from the Palmer interview for me were --

• The HVJB (the issue where Mach-e's are dying on the side of the road currently) is not the same box used in the Lightning and additional stress testing for the Lightning over the Mach-e has been done.

• Patch is "1-2" weeks out for FCSP Update to give 10 more degrees on the unit.

• A new HMI update is coming out soon they are proud of.

• They may release more battery/range for the lightning in the future based on driver's charging habits (90% vs 100).

• The tires breaking loose (hard launch) isn't torque steer per Palmer and there are no plans currently to "fix" unless customers want the power reduced

Yeah that last bullet had me wondering if they are considering a "comfort" or "eco" mode for the Lightning. That seems to be missing and it is something they did include on the Mach-e.

 

[Nick Gerteis]

Yeah that last bullet had me wondering if they are considering a "comfort" or "eco" mode for the Lightning. That seems to be missing and it is something they did include on the Mach-e.

I even have the LEAF in eco all the time. Slow pokes-r-us! Hope they’ll update that on the Lightning by the time I get to order.

 

[greenne]

Yeah that last bullet had me wondering if they are considering a "comfort" or "eco" mode for the Lightning. That seems to be missing and it is something they did include on the Mach-e.

I wish the Lightning had an eco mode. I mean lets be real, if I'm cruising on the interstate with my wife and dogs in the car I'm not gonna be flooring it every chance I get. For road trips I'd like the option to throw it into ECO and just cruise with a few more miles of range.

 

[sotek2345]

I wish the Lightning had an eco mode. I mean lets be real, if I'm cruising on the interstate with my wife and dogs in the car I'm not gonna be flooring it every chance I get. For road trips I'd like the option to throw it into ECO and just cruise with a few more miles of range.

If you are cruising on the highway, driving mode won't change your range. Unfortunately for this use case, Ford used permanent magnet motors and no way to disconnect them (good for other reasons). That means that holding a steady speed will take the same power regardless of mode.

What an "eco" or "comfort" mode could do is relax the accelerator mapping to give you less power at any given throttle position - the opposite of what "Sport" does. Typically this would mean a spike at the end to get to max power, but Ford could back that down and give less than full power with the reduction all taken from the front motor to reduce/eliminate the wheel spin.

They could also decrease the needed steering effort, but that is really secondary.

 

[beatle]

The nice thing about EVs is that every mode can be eco mode if you use regen as much as you can. Unlike an ICE vehicle, when you stomp on the go pedal in an EV, it doesn't use a disproportionate amount of energy to get you up to speed. As long as you only use the power to get up to your normal cruising speed, you should return the same range as someone who pulls away like grandma and cruises at the same speed.

Tesla had a "range mode" that cut the power available to the HVAC in half and turned off the decorative headlight rings. I didn't find it made any difference to me so I always drove in Ludicrous mode which was the most aggressive. The car got the same efficiency.

 

[greenne]

When I first learned of Sandy several years ago I wasn't a fan, I've changed. All of the manufactures listen as he tears their cars apart. I love at the 30 minute mark he basically just calls it out. Ford has to make changes. They have issues with plants and people.

The biggest negative I see and have a problem with - all 3 of them focus very much on software and talk about how critical it is, yet I don't know if they can see, it, but this is their weakest link. I will give them a couple of years, I know it has to be tuned, but you have to listen to your owners, you have to be smart about innovating, you have to cut out the fat/BS, you have to streamline the UI, you have to tune the drive and they have work to do, they are behind. I hope someone reminds them daily until they truly put their money where their mouth is.

TBH I never was and still am not a fan of Sandy. While I acknowledge his expertise in the technical side of things, I really question and hope to god Ford doesn't take his business insight at face value. He's obviously got a thing a for Tesla now and thats all fine and dandy.

However I'll balk at anyone that thinks Ford needs to do "what tesla did" in order to be successful in the future EV marketplace. I think Jim Farley kinda was hinting at that when he said "ford would do what we know how to do" or something along those lines. (They were discussing the decline of GM and the lack of success in the European hatchback market)

While I acknowledge Tesla's success being an early pioneer of EVs, I really question where they will go as a company now that they have competition. Elon made a great EV(no doubt) and in terms of efficiency, charging, infotainment(map) integration Tesla is still the best(also supercharger).

However the market Ford is entering is different than Tesla and the strengths of Ford are different than Tesla. Ford does trucks and SUVs. Tesla one could argue does not. Ford has a huge Fleet customer base...Tesla does not. Ford can scale in a way Tesla cannot due to sheer number of plants/workforce. Tesla will always be the option for the early adopters, I feel Ford should be chasing the converts--convert reluctant gas owners into the EV evolution. Make the EV familiar enough so the transition is comfortable. As Farley says-- do the f150 do everything a gas f150 can do and then some...just do it better.

I think this is the same approach they will take with the Explorer SUV, Maverick/Ranger EV, the Bronco EV and the Expedition EV which we know will come along someday. These are all areas which Tesla does not have any concrete plans to compete. Really it is Ford's game to lose...

In short I think now that they have committed to EVs Ford is in great shape and if/when they scale they will easily sell more EVs than Tesla simply due to the number of factories, workforce, and the expanded market in multiple different vehicle types. Fleet sales are also going to be huge for Ford.

Just my opinion, we'll see where Ford stands a few years from now.

 

[beatle]

However I'll balk at anyone that thinks Ford needs to do "what tesla did" in order to be successful in the future EV marketplace. I think Jim Farley kinda was hinting at that when he said "ford would do what we know how to do" or something along those lines. (They were discussing the decline of GM and the lack of success in the European hatchback market)

Tesla has been successful in spite of themselves sometimes, so anyone doing a blind copy/paste of their strategy is pretty foolish as you alluded to. That said, Tesla is very nimble in the software arena (sometimes to a fault), and both Jim and Doug acknowledge the importance of software being crucial to a good user experience. I just hope they also acknowledge they're not there yet and most will demand a better experience and ongoing improvements beyond the date of delivery.

Ford also seems smart enough to know their customer base doesn't want everything buried in a menu on screen. Good software doesn't mean "put it all in the screen." Some things are objectively easier with good software though. Plugging in to charge (should be boring and eventless), detailed navigation, and simply having an easy to use, responsive UI are things everyone can appreciate.

Dramatically changing the UI, swapping all buttons on the steering wheel for capacitive areas, removing the drive selector, turn signals, and wiper controls, and cutting off the top of the steering wheel are not footsteps I see Ford following in.

 

[LightningShow]

The best part was learning that putting the driver display in Calm Mode gives you SOC as a percentage! Thank god!

 

[GDN]

The best part was learning that putting the driver display in Calm Mode gives you SOC as a percentage! Thank god!

Haven't watched this one yet, but did you know the center stack also has a "Calm Mode" - it may be covered in the video. Press and hold the volume ring.

 

[Pioneer74]

The best part was learning that putting the driver display in Calm Mode gives you SOC as a percentage! Thank god!

It should be on every screen. I don't have to dig around menus to find my gas level on my vehicles.

 

[LightningShow]

It should be on every screen. I don't have to dig around menus to find my gas level on my vehicles.

I agree completely but I'm just happy it's available on the driver's display somewhere already, previous reviews said you could only get it by digging into the menus on the center screen. I hope they add it to every screen via OTA.

 

[LightningShow]

Haven't watched this one yet, but did you know the center stack also has a "Calm Mode" - it may be covered in the video. Press and hold the volume ring.

They didn't mention that but I do remember hearing that in another review, although I had completely forgotten about it.

 

[FlasherZ]

I use calm mode all the time, can't stand the animated circus hijinks on the screen.

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