Dear Ford, you've lost your mind

[neririn]

I find that posts containing ALL CAPS should generally be ignored.

And yet, you didn't follow your own findings? Point taken, sorry for the rant and the use of all caps. But with no underline, where do you get emphasis online? I find exclamation points just don't do it justice, and I am not one for expletives.

Sponsored

 

[RickLightning]

You are kind of right, but not to the point of me being completely illiterate.

I bought the advanced technology package so THAT the Mach-E would have BlueCruise which they were still developing. Back in mid 2020 when I actually ordered the car, that was what you did. You bought the technology package (or the California edition that included it) and that gave you the hardware (cameras etc) and BlueCruise was going to be once you had it, you kept it. No subscription, you pay the extra 3k for the necessary hardware up front, and it was just like an extended battery, AWD, or chrome wheels. Once you bought it, BlueCruise and the support for it was yours for the life of the car.

Fast forward to August of 2021 when the car finally arrived, (covid, then variants, then supply chain blah blah blah) BlueCruise was not yet out for the Mach-E, but we were assured by Ford and the dealer that we had already paid for it and it would come in OTA update. When it finally arrived in 2022, it arrived as a trial and it was like you said. Ford benevolently extended the free trial until the end of 2023. I was naive. In buying 15 plus Ford vehicles over the decades I had not been lied to by that dealer before. Maybe EV was new to him, I guess I will never know if he figured it out. I haven't since, and wont ever be back.

Bottom line, I didn't get it in writing. I wont make that mistake again though. As evidenced in the Mach-E forums, people are not interested in subscriptions, particularly when many feel they were sold a feature not a subscription. This will bite Ford. Generationally loyal customers like me are less loyal now. If they don't care about that, they really should. An existing customer is far easier to keep than finding a new one.

On the Mach-E, it was never sold to us as a subscription that was in need of any trial. We paid extra for the hardware. Hardware that was ONLY needed for BlueCruise, and that upfront purchase was to include any future software the hardware required to provide self driving. It was supposed to be a permanent feature. Were we lied to? Yeah, probably. I mean they are car salesmen after all, and that stereotype exists for a real reason. In hindsight had I known the fiasco BlueCruise would become, I would have saved the 3k on the order and skipped the hardware entirely.

By the time my Lightning arrived in June of 2022, the Lariat model I bought included everything necessary for BlueCruise, so there was nothing to strip off. They had officially moved to the subscription plan messaging with three years included at purchase. I haven't looked but they likely ship nearly every Lighning model BlueCruise capable as an included perk hoping to dupe people into the subscription nonsense after 3 years. Wall Street does love annual recurring revenue after all.

This whole post and all that I've said not withstanding, I don't care terribly much about the BlueCruise on the truck. I like to drive by myself and I didn't specifically select a package to allow it. It was a novelty on the truck, but an expectation on the Mach-E. A broken promise with a $80 per month reminder that I was lied to. Fool me once...

Now that said, If they try to turn around and start charging me a subscription for the home backup power integration, that's when it is time to lawyer up. Because I DID get that in writing. I have FAR too much money invested with them in otherwise useless hardware for them to change the home integration game now.

Perhaps your salesperson told you incorrectly, but back when you ordered your Mach_E the prep package was $895, except for Select, which was $2,600. This was clearly (for most people) to prep the vehicle for BlueCruise, which would cost $600 for 3 years when it came out. For vehicles intended to be delivered after 7/1/2021, they added the $600 cost to the window sticker.

The expectation was that BlueCruise would be added to the early vehicles in the early Fall 2021, you would be billed $600. In reality, it got added to the cars in Spring 2022, and Ford gave a free year of BlueCruise as compensation. They then extended the free year to 12/31/23 because they wanted people to experience BC 1.3 before deciding.

Those owners get to buy BC for 3 years for $200 a year, or $600. Or, they can choose to go monthly whenever they want.

Later owners will have to pay $800 a year, or $2,100 when they buy the vehicle. Or, $75 a month.

You make the point "As evidenced in the Mach-E forums, people are not interested in subscriptions" and you are correct. That population of early adopters is largely not interested in subscriptions. Car companies are going that way, and only a low adoption rate is going to deter them. That group of early adopters is not representative of the population at large from a technogeek perspective, only time will show if subscriptions succeed or fail across car companies.

Subscription programs have existed for decades in business. The first metric is adoption, or "take". The second metric is length of adoption. Statisticians forecast models of this, and then companies see how the adoption rate differs by length of offered term, price, features, etc. And the third metric is spend.

For example, think back to the days of products offered on TV for "5 easy payments of $39.95". People would order the item, and it would get sent after they paid one payment (or in many cases no payments, like collectibles). Then they'd get billed for the rest. Before the billing was completed, they'd get offered a 2nd in the collection, and they'd buy that, and now be paying on two things.

So, the adoption happens, people sign up for 3 years (no other choice) and pay $XXX. At $200 a year, they make get 40% adoption. 100,000 people, 40% take it, pay $200 = $8 million. So, if they charge $800 instead, do the math, ... they only need a 10% take to make $8 million. If they get a 15% take, they make $12 million, 50% more.

So don't think that Ford or GM or anyone else is stupid here, they aren't. Have they set too high a price based on their research? Maybe. They'll find out over time if they're right, or we are in refusing to pay that price.

 

[COrocket]

The 2021 ICE F150'rs are currently receiving renewal offer for 3 years $600

It's a fair price, in my opinion, IF it were polished up over the original 3 year subscription. But the progress to improve the product has never materialized.

The early excitement that Bluecruise created on its release has been a wasted opportunity by Ford.

Same, I could stomach $16/month at the 3 year/$600 offering but I’d want to see a lot more development before considering spending more than that.

 

[ackatack]

I love BlueCruise and use it on a weekly basis. However, any price more than $10/month is too much; maybe $15/month if the vehicle’s connectivity is included. Also, if I am paying a subscription for it, then I am expecting constant incremental improvements, not annual updates at best.

 

[Danface]

This threaf reminds me of this:



I figure I'll work the wheel and pedals until I can't anymore.

 

[Yellow Buddy]

Hmm...I don't commute but when I've used it recently it has been fantastic. I've driven from Austin to Dallas, Austin to Houston and the truck mostly drove itself. Definitely not disengaging nearly as much as you've described.

The only time it really disconnects is lanes merging or dividing, construction area it doesn't know about, and for some reason through every toll-booth.

There was an update that addressed the ping-pong. I'm wondering if a lack of that update is causing all of your problems? Mine does not ping-pong in the lane.

I agree $80 a month or $800/year is absurd. The point of the subscription is so that they can improve the service and as far as I can tell not a single road has been added in my area since I got the truck almost a year ago.

Have driven in more states than not, I think it's highly YMMV. In some areas it's absolutely flawless, in others you want to run the truck into a pole. The weather and time of day matters too. I've had my moments where I sat there and thought - I would happily pay for this. Others when I was screaming at the top of my lungs "IM LOOKING AT THE **** ROAD!"

 

[Smokewagun]

I can hardly wait for the Navigation expiration and renewal. Betting it’ll be a stupidly expensive monthly cost. I’ll use Apple or Google, BUT… what will happen to the trip planner and charging location coordination? Do thy have me/us over a barrel.

 

[Snakebitten]

So what was the cost difference on the hardware necessary for Adaptive Cruise Control/Lane Keeping VS Bluecruise?

I ask because I thought it was basically the same necessary modules other than the addition of the interior infrared nasty eye scanning wicked witch components for Bluecruise.

If I drove more miles on Bluecruise enabled roadways, I wouldn't have nixed BC with Forscan. (I think she should mind her own business if I'm NOT on a Bluecruise road )
For the same reasons, I doubt I will subscribe unless 1.3 can impress me more than I suspect.

 

[Bills R Electric]

I had my Lightning many months before I even tried BlueCruise.
I tried it and it just keep telling me to take control....every few miles.

Then I realize it is really only useful on interstates.

At least once, sometimes twice a month I drive about 170 miles each way to a branch office. On I-95. It works great in that use case. Really well. Sometimes I can go the whole distance without one nag.

If I didn't drive that trip once or twice a month, I would not pay for BlueCruise (and I don't pay for it right now). When my free 3 years of BlueCruise is up, I probably would not pay $80 bucks for it. Maybe $25-30 bucks. About what I pay for Sirrius Radio.

 

[jmc6020]

I had my Lightning many months before I even tried BlueCruise.
I tried it and it just keep telling me to take control....every few miles.

Then I realize it is really only useful on interstates.

At least once, sometimes twice a month I drive about 170 miles each way to a branch office. On I-95. It works great in that use case. Really well. Sometimes I can go the whole distance without one nag.

If I didn't drive that trip once or twice a month, I would not pay for BlueCruise (and I don't pay for it right now). When my free 3 years of BlueCruise is up, I probably would not pay $80 bucks for it. Maybe $25-30 bucks. About what I pay for Sirrius Radio.

You can get Sirius radio for much cheaper also by calling them and threatening to cancel

 

[Bills R Electric]

You can get Sirius radio for much cheaper also by calling them and threatening to cancel

I need to do that. I did do that 3-4 years ago, and it worked.

 

[Bills R Electric]

Have driven in more states than not, I think it's highly YMMV. In some areas it's absolutely flawless, in others you want to run the truck into a pole. The weather and time of day matters too. I've had my moments where I sat there and thought - I would happily pay for this. Others when I was screaming at the top of my lungs "IM LOOKING AT THE **** ROAD!"

Wait, have you been driving my Lightning?

 

[ninjaybot]

My blue cruise ping pongs as well. San Diego freeways.

 

[rtshinn]

I received notice today that my Blue Cruise trial was ending 12/31/23 and I have been invited to renew now to avoid any interruptions. I clicked on the link to see what they wanted to charge for it and to see if by any chance the 'interruptions' they claimed I could avoid are all the things that currently are broken with it and cause significant interruptions with every use.

So, it appears they want $80 per month for Blue Cruise. NOT A CHANCE. I mean if it was anything more than glorified adaptive cruise control, MAYBE I would consider paying for the 'service'. If it could park itself without me there, or it could change lanes, or even better if it could come get me after the baseball game so I didn't have to walk to the far parking lot, I'd likely be interested.

But for what it actually can 'do' and based on my hands ON experience with the supposedly hands OFF BlueCruise, I don't know what they are thinking they are providing with this service nor why they think it justifies additional cost.

In watching this forum, I knew it wouldn't be long before they wanted more money, so I have logged my last several BlueCruise drives home from the office. It is a 6.5 mile drive, on a flat, mostly straight highway. Not ONE drive was flawless, not one was any better than Adaptive cruise control with lane keeping assist.

Most recently in the span of 6.5 miles BlueCruise asked me to resume control 19 times. Canceled an additional 2 times. In 6.5 miles. BlueCruise could not even drive straight, by itself, for a consistent half mile. On that drive BlueCruise successfully navigated one gentle curve to the right at highway speeds, but began to 'ping pong' back and forth in the lane when trying to straighten back out, resulting in the "resume control' alarm. It asked me to resume control in the middle of any other vehicle movement that would require more than 2-3 degrees of gradual wheel turn.

Now remember, this is highway driving, no stoplights, 6.5 miles in the same lane, clear weather, full sunlight, moderate traffic. You know, the same simple, straightforward driving millions of people have been using their right foot and their left knee to control for the past 60 years so they can eat breakfast or do their makeup on the way into work.

Based on my logs, BlueCruise has successfully 'driven' my truck less than 30% of the time BlueCruise was enabled. And they want $80 a month. $80 is more than double what I pay to POWER my truck for a month. And the power utility successfully powers my truck 100% of the time. Ford is NUTS.

@Ford Motor Company in case you missed it, because you miss a lot lately, let me be clear. BLUECRUISE BARELY WORKS AT ALL AND IS NOT CURRENTLY WORTH PAYING ANYTHING EXTRA FOR. There wont be anything for me to miss come January 1, 2024. Actually, it will be better because my truck wont continue to lie to me and tell me BlueCruise is available for my drive.

I'd love to see the adoption numbers, but I am sure they will be so bad that they wont ever be posted publicly.

Well that's not going happen. I don't use it at all, really. Just played with it a few times. I wouldn't pay anything for it.

 

[Lucky26]

It really seems like a YMMV situation. Here in NJ, I have used the BC trial a number of times for going up and down the Turnpike. Perhaps its just my use or expectation. I never expected the BC to drive for hours on end. When I'm making a 2 hour trek down south, I can periodically "take breaks" for 10 min or so and let BC take over. Then just resume driving after a break. It "should" drive the vast majority of the way based on their mapping, but it doesnt and I dont expect it to.

With that said, getting a handful of 10 min breaks while driving is not worth hundreds of dollars a year.

Sponsored