Ford, GM Are All-In On EVs. Here’s How Their Dealers Feel About It

[Blainestang]

We test drove a Mach E, and that huge vertical screen has a cool look about it, but functionally it's a PITA compared to my F-150. I can adjust my heated/cooled seats, turn on my heated steering wheel, change temps, everything without looking away from the road. But on that Mach E, even if you get good at hitting the rough location, there is way more chance of being off slightly and cranking up the wrong setting.

While I can live with it overall, my wife flat out said there is no way. So Ford lost a Mach E sale by chasing Tesla and choosing form over function. While I don't think it's a world ending thing, I totally get why she doesn't want it. I love big screens and high tech stuff, but we also passed on the Model Y for the same reason, sometimes moving things to a screen isn't an improvement just because it cuts down on assembly costs.

Does the Mach E have usable voice commands?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that's everyone's preference, but changing A/C and heated seats and steering wheel could theoretically easily be controlled via voice, which is likely at least as safe as taking a hand off the wheel to turn a knob.

In my experience, the issues with some controls being on a screen aren't as limiting or attention-stealing as they seem like they might be at first glance.

Most of the things that are frequently changed (volume, song, radio station, etc.) are controlled from the steering wheel, and wipers are auto and/or on the stalk.

Other stuff, most of which shouldn't be messed with while driving really, either way, are available via voice commands, or like Nav, may be faster on the big/fast screen than on the smaller/button/knob screen anyway.

Again, this has been my experience having used one for a while. I understand it's not what some buyers prefer, but I don't think it's inherently less safe. I think in some ways it's more safe. But there's a learning curve for using it in the ideal way.

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[ChasingCoral]

- USA still burns coal to produce electricity in many places. Are you really greener by having EVs?

Absolutely. Coal plants are being replaced by either gas or renewable generation at a rapid pace across the US, so the CO2 emissions will only go down from where they are today. Even states that burn coal now gain tremendous advantages by switching to RVs because of the reduction in ground-level air pollution. It is far healthier to have a single pollution-scrubbed smokestack outside of a city than to expose everyone to ground-level pollutants from tailpipe emissions.

 

[Blainestang]

I saw a video of an interview with the CEO of Fiat (Mopar) a couple years ago. When he was asked about his EVs, he said something to the effect of “I wish people wouldn’t buy them because we loose about $20k on every one we sell”.
I don’t know if that was BS, I’m sure there was at least a grain of truth to it but I also have to think things have changed by now. At least to some extent.
But back then they HAD to offer the EVs to meet Cafe standards. Which was his point.

Yeah, that was regarding the FIAT 500e, which is a decent option as a commuter for the $7,000 that they go for after a 3-year lease, BUT Fiat had to lease them for $49/mo at times just to move the new ones.

So, yeah, they lost a ton of money on those... but they HAD to sell them or they'd lose even more money in emissions fines/etc.

 

[bgalakazam]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/tech...ver-electric-car-charging-routines/ar-AALhUrP

lol, at what, 5% ev overall? and they want 100%. good luck.

 

[ChasingCoral]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/tech...ver-electric-car-charging-routines/ar-AALhUrP

lol, at what, 5% ev overall? and they want 100%. good luck.

Nothing new there. Many states already have programs to strongly encourage charging at night when demand is low.

 

[shutterbug]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/tech...ver-electric-car-charging-routines/ar-AALhUrP

lol, at what, 5% ev overall? and they want 100%. good luck.

I think that EV impact on the electrical grid is highly overstated. Yesterday, I charged my Mustang Mach-E at work and pulled almost 20 kWh from the system. Also yesterday I pulled down 58kWh for my house. Both are much higher than normal, but that's without changing anything.

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