The beginning of many issues to be “discovered” by customers.
The Ford Motor Company serves as the perfect example with the Mustang Mach-E, the all-electric crossover that may discharge the 12-volt battery while plugged in over janky software for the powertrain control module. As if that wasn’t bad enough for the Dearborn-based automaker, the Blue Oval has identified yet another software bug after a total of six vehicles have stopped without notice while they were driven down Eagle Road in Norway.
According to Motor.no, the vehicles were being driven on the steep road with maximum regenerative braking to gain battery charge. This led to the battery getting seriously hot and the wheels locking up, which are huge problems on their own. Anne Sønsteby, the information director at Ford Norway, said that a software update will rectify every single one of these conditions.
Pardon my French, but how could Ford’s engineers not identify this problem when the Mustang Mach-E was being trialed over hundreds of thousands of miles? Adding insult to injury, owners that aren’t aware of this problem won’t be informed via first-class mail as it’s the case with a recall. Instead, they’ll have to wait until September or October for an over-the-air update.
Pretending that the problem impacts only a few cars is how the Ford Motor Company tries to minimize the potential outcomes resulting from a Mustang Mach-E that bricks itself while driving downhill. In addition to a battery fire, locking the wheels on a winding road is a terrifying recipe for disaster.
Considering that Norwegians purchase more EVs than combustion-engined vehicles due to many perks and a looming ICE ban on new passenger cars, the Blue Oval may want to reconsider its customer service and transparency