Thai-Tang admitted midcycle freshenings often are just a “fashion statement,” with slight cosmetic tweaks or a compliance-driven regulatory improvement to the engine.
The Mach-E won’t necessarily need such traditional upgrades.
Even before deliveries begin this month, Ford has plans to improve it. CEO Jim Farley said last week on an episode of “Jay Leno’s Garage” that, roughly six months after launch, Ford will push out a software update that activates an optional hands-free driver-assist system.
Future software upgrades could become added revenue streams for the automaker, as will subscriptions for its charging network available through the FordPass app.
Those revenue streams will help the Mach-E be profitable from the moment it launches.
Ford also is helped by the vehicle’s flexible electric architecture. While Thai-Tang said the Mach-E will have little in common with the upcoming F-150 EV or E-Transit van, Ford plans to spread the investment over multiple programs and add a second EV at the Mexico plant where the Mach-E is built.
He also noted that Ford’s reliance on suppliers for batteries has helped it avoid additional costs.
“Our strategy on how we’re approaching the value chain for battery-electric vehicles, in this early phase of leveraging competitive tension from multiple suppliers to drive that cost down, has been very helpful,” Thai-Tang said.
Farley has said Ford is discussing building its own battery cells, but that likely wouldn’t happen for years, until EVs are more popular.
“I think the transition will still play out over decades,” Thai-Tang said.
