Ford is picking up a fight with Tesla via the upcoming Mustang Mach-E, which is designed to compete against the Model Y crossover. When the reinvented Mustang rolls out in 2022, its maker is promising one thing to would-be buyers - that the package they'd get will boast of the best EV experience available.
The commitment was made by Darren Palmer, Ford's lead man on its ongoing vehicle electrification efforts. Palmer said his company intends to make deliveries that are free of quality issues, adding that buyers will not be forced to accept compromise.
Interviewed by Autoblog, the executive pointed out that Ford's manufacturing expertise cannot be disputed and this will be applied with the Mustang Mach-E release, meaning the company's first EV will scream of the top-notch quality that Ford is known for.
And that is not the case with Tesla, Palmer suggested without mentioning the leading the EV maker directly, according to Business Insider.
Palmer reminded: "The doors fit properly, the plastics and other materials color-match, the bumpers don't fall off, the roof doesn't come off when you wash it, the door handles don't get stuck in cold weather."
It's quite obvious that the Ford executive is reminding people of the problems that some buyers encountered with Tesla EVs. The same report noted that the Model Y and Model X did come out with glaring factory defects, and Tesla even issued a recall order of the latter to remedy these quality oversights.
Ford is saying that with the Mustang Mach-E, these problems will not discourage the expected EV adopters. In fact, Palmer is talking sense as Tesla indeed can be faulted for allowing the release of EVs in the past minus the mandatory quality inspection.
Tesla did allow quality problems to hurt its name due to its rush getting out a large volume of EV models in record time. Electrek said these accelerated launches resulted in rollouts plagued by manufacturing flaws. Particularly, the Model Y that the automaker pushed out this year was bogged down by these issues.
Tesla, however, has its redeeming value. When pitted against the Mustang Mach-E, the company's electric SUV is still the superior EV - better efficiency, greater range coverage, and faster charging time. This advantage remains largely true even when any of the Tesla vehicle models go against their existing and upcoming rivals.
Still, Tesla cannot use the mentioned leads as an excuse that since they make better EVs, some trade-offs on quality are acceptable. The company wants to achieve big delivery targets but in doing so, there should be no room for manufacturing defects.
