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Ford's EV Marketing Strategy Guy to Answer Your Questions

33K views 68 replies 34 participants last post by  DrakeHeyman  
#1 ·
Well, maybe. haha.

I'm sitting down with Jason Mase who oversees Ford Electrification Marketing Strategy tomorrow at the Chicago Auto Show.

Send me your questions and I'll ask him. I can't promise answers, but I'll see what I can do.
 
#3 ·
How are they prepared to compete with Tesla now that range and features are improving and being updated automatically and people are excited about what their future potential could be and be able to discover a new car feature every few months. Is Ford going to provide that type of customer service (complimentary) and are they now developing the software and hardware that will be able to keep up with range and other improvements ?
 
#5 ·
A couple more:
  • Will the select edition be able to do the handsfree lane centering/driving on the highway without 360 degree cameras?
  • Will full self driving be available on select edition if it has the optional 360 degree camera?
 
#6 ·
And while I am on a roll - how about a statement:

Next week marks 3 months since the website went live, and the only update is to say the limited edition not available. I finally got an update email last week that just had links to the same stuff that's been there since November. That's pretty weak if they want people to stay excited about this car.
 
#8 ·
Lots of great questions so far. I'll do what I can to get these answered.
The good news is, Jason isn't just an expert, but the actual marketing guy, so having him know some of the questions and concerns should help Ford launch this product properly.
Send more questions and I'll update this post later tomorrow with what I can get.
 
#9 ·
Will the mach E have a gvwr above 6000 lbs? Wondering whether or not a business would be able to write one off via section 179 which states a company truck or suv must have a gvwr above 6000 lbs. I imagine that a base model wouldnt but in awd along with the extended range battery it must be pretty close. The mach e would make much more sense for traveling sales people over a comparable gas guzzling truck or suv. This tax incentive along with the federal EV rebate would make it a fleet owners dream.
 
#18 ·
I believe a lot of folks prefer the fake grill on the GT versus the plastic look on all the other models. Too bad the non-GT models do not have the GT grill. Just saying...(Probably a few sales lost because of this)

I wish the First Edition came in the Star White Metallic Tri-Coat. A great color at extra cost...Why not a color option on the First Edition? A white Mustang Mach E appears in many internet postings.
 
#22 ·
Thank you for the initiative!

Like MachDrive I would very much like an answer to this question: How many units will they be able to realistically deliver this calendar year? All of the first and premium pre-orders?

I add one question: Are there any hopes for a roof rack and added towing weight?
 
#23 ·
Hey everyone. Just catching my breath here. Jason had some decent info, but as usual, a lot of "we can't discuss this yet" responses.

Some simple answers first:
Q:"Is there a blind to close the panoramic roof"
A: No. It's a uv protected glass that doesn't yet UV rays through. Ford is confident it will not heat up the cabin. Jason said they are well aware that keeping heat OUT of an EV is critical to overall performance

Q: Are there foglights
A: There are not.

Q: Any swag?
A: Not yet. They are talking with their licensing team right now and should have info in Q1. I asked if we could get some... he said he couldn't commit to that yet. But I'll talk to the PR folks and see if we can get some.

Q: Any changes planned on the production model, like better seats?
No: No. They're pleased with the response they've had so far from potential customers.

Q: Will more units go to Europe
A: Deliveries will start in Europe first. (Did we know this already). This is due to new regulations like in California, where brands will be prevented from selling cars unless they sell zero emissions models. So to meet those regulations, countries like Norway will be first. After that, volume of models will be determined based on demand.

Q: What deliveries will take place in Q4? Just the First Edition?
A: First Edition will be delivered in Q4 as well as some Premium, Select, and Calif Route 1 models. He also added that all 50 states will get Q4 deliveries, regardless of the reservation number. They want to make sure that it's not just a bunch of models all getting shipped to California.

Q: When exactly will the GT model be delivered?
A: Jason wouldn't commit to an EXACT number, but did say it would be late Spring or early Summer.

I'll get to more soon, but the answers are more complex, so I'll need some time to transcribe my recording.
 
#42 ·
Some simple answers first:
Q:"Is there a blind to close the panoramic roof"
A: No. It's a uv protected glass that doesn't yet UV rays through. Ford is confident it will not heat up the cabin. Jason said they are well aware that keeping heat OUT of an EV is critical to overall performance
First of all, thanks for organizing this Q&A for us.

Second, I'm still unhappy with this approach to the roof and I want Ford to know that. In warmer climates, like Southern California, where many of their customers will be, and places like Arizona, where I live, during parts of the year the sun beams down with enough intensity that you really want an opaque shade so you don't feel the sun on the top of your head. This may not be an issue around Dearborn, but it is absolutely an issue for me here in the Southwest. I will be looking for solutions including fabricating some sort of interior cover cut to the shape of the roof. The best solution, that doesn't require re-engineering the roof, is for Ford to assign a team in the accessories department to make a roof cover accessory for those of us who would like one. I'll pay $200 for an OEM accessory that solves this issue. They could even add a big Mustang logo on it so that when you look up you're reminded of the Mustang heritage, or something cool like that.
 
#25 ·
A few more:
Q: Will orders and deposits placed in spring be refundable if we are unhappy with test drive in fall?
A: While the original deposit is with Ford, once an order has been filled out, it's with a dealer. So it will be up to the dealer to decide.

Q: If current first edition reservation orders back out, will they be opened again to current reservation holders?
A: Yes, though he didn't provide details on how.

Q: Will Ford do anything to keep dealers from adding mark-ups for reservation holders?
A: Ford doesn't set pricing, so ultimately it's up to dealers.

Q. What exactly do the reservations represent? Do reservation holders get some priority or "lock in" for orders?
A: Yes, reservations lock in your place in line. Based on reservation number. These people will be contacted (soon?) to build their specific model. At that time, anyone who has pre-ordered a trim can select a different one (except the First Edition versions as they are sold out). Jason also said that more options than originally stated would be available to add on at that time!
 
#26 ·
Q: How will the ordering process will work?

A: We’re not far away from that time when we’ll communicate to all our customers that have reservations that it’s time to take action, to confirm your specifications. When we took a reservation we don’t allow any changes to the reservation, but when we open up the order bank and turn those reservations into orders, customers will have the opportunity to change their specs if they like: Color, RWD to AWD, Battery pack, etc.
When reservation gets turned into an order, Ford refunds the deposit. If the dealer that the order is booked with requires a deposit, that will be up to them.
 
#27 ·
Here's a more detailed one. Sounds like info is coming SOON to reservation holders. Plus, it sounds like they have an interesting new "lease-type product"

Q: When is more info coming and what about financing and lease rates?
A: Full quotes from Jason: "Very soon we’ll update the website to include more product detail. We’ll also be emailing and communicating with anyone who has a reservation about the product, some of the cool insights and next steps in the ordering process.

We take a concerted effort to not inundate people once they give us permission to contact them.

We will start contacting folks in the first quarter to prep them for what’s next in terms of ordering, to also share details about the vehicle, some of the cool things coming, some new options on the vehicle.

We are close to announcing our go to market strategy including APR and lease product offerings.

When we start to convert reservations to orders and assign schedule dates for the models to go through the factory we will announce purchase and lease product offerings.

We’re going to have a product that behaves like a lease; a way to put the customer in control and claim the federal tax incentives.

People like leasing because it’s a nice short trade cycle and allows you and allows you to turn the keys in and try something else after a shorter period of time than owning. This product will allow you to do that but it will allow customers to claim the tax incentive on their own.

So when you lease the fed tax incentive is often signed over and put into the deal at the time of the transaction. We’re looking at a product that behaves a lot like a lease but allows the customer to decide if they want to claim the tax incentive and decide if they want to put it into the monthly payment or take that tax incentive later and use it for something else. When you do a lease you normally sign it right into the deal, we’ll do something that allows you to claim it later on your taxes."
 
#28 ·
Q: Will the Mach-E live up to the mileage claims Ford has promised.
A: EPA will do final evaluations, but, "We’re confident in our estimates and we look forward to having the EPA test it."
 
#29 ·
Q: What about self-driving capability and over-the-air updates?

A: "We have highway assist coming. It will be part of an overall bundle that will have other features with it. "
"We have the ability to keep the vehicle fresh and provide features and changes to the vehicle.
(We poked him to see if he meant just telematics updates, etc. or if Ford could adjust the powertrain via OTA. He repeated his answer.... which isn't a "no".)