Global Courant
There were more changes in the fine print of Ford’s announced updates to the 2023.5 Mustang Mach-E. The main changes were the new battery chemistry with improved range and charging, more powerful AWD trims and lower prices. Those lower MSRPs were offset by revised pricing for some features, such as BlueCruise, which tripled for subscribers who refreshed hands-free driving technology. Following Tesla’s move to lower prices, Ford also followed Tesla’s move to charge for what was once standard equipment. The Ford Mobile Charger (FMC) used to come with the Mach-E, but now costs $500. The parallel is that Tesla’s mobile connector was once standard equipment for Model Y, but now costs $230.
As you’ll notice, the same process has resulted in two very different financial results: $500 versus $230. Frankly, we don’t see why Ford would charge that much unless it’s trying to get Mach-E buyers to avoid the FMC to buy. The 6-meter long FMC has a maximum of 30 amps and comes with two plugs, a NEMA 5-15 plug for the usual 120V outlet and a NEMA 14-50 plug for 240V outlets. Ford advises owners who do not have the correct outlet to “just contact a licensed electrician” or “contact (Ford’s) installer of choice, Sunrun.” The 6-meter Tesla mobile cord has a maximum of the same 30 amps and comes with the same connectors. However, so does Tesla sells an adapter bundle to fit seven additional plug types from NEMA 5-20 to NEMA 6-50. The bundle costs $245, meaning the Tesla buyer can get the cord and connectors and still have $25 left over compared to the Ford unit — and potentially skip paying wads more money to an electrician.
Stranger still, what looks like the the same FMC sold at the Ford Accessories store costs $470, not $500. That also happens with the F-150 Lightning; adding the FMC in the pickup’s configurator adds $500 to the price, Ford’s accessory store sells it for $470.
Aftermarket mobile charging cords run from about $150 to $350, with many in the $200 to $300 window.
Beyond that, Ford has added a Comfort Package Lite to the entry-level Mach-E Select trim. It installs heated front seats, driver seat with memory, heated steering wheel and power folding side mirrors for $1,500. Compared to the full comfort package included on higher grades, the Lite version of the Select lacks the power tailgate and load compartment cover.
Product planners also reduced the price of the GT Performance package by $1,000 to $5,000. This upgrades the top GT trim with modifications such as a more powerful front e-motor, 20-inch wheels on summer tires, MagneRide suspension and front row performance seats.
The last item that went unmentioned was the destination fee which increased by $500 to $1,800. A year ago, the destination fee was $1,100.
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