Mustang Mach-E

Make
Ford
Segment
SUV

Being Ford's first mass-market electric utility vehicle, the Mustang Mach-E is arguably the automaker's most ground breaking vehicle in a long time. Applying the Mustang name to an electric crossover was a controversial decision, but the Mach-E lives up to expectations associated with the iconic marque, with its sporty looks, impressive performance, and affordable price tag. Calling it a Mustang also simply makes sense from a marketing perspective: it probably wouldn't have made as big of a splash if it didn't.

You would think, then, that staff at Ford dealers have been extensively trained to advise potential customers about the Mustang Mach-E to maximize sales, particularly as this will be many people's first EV. However, EV Bite has discovered the customer experience at some Ford dealers leaves a lot to be desired.

EV Bite called 15 Ford dealerships within a 200-mile radius to enquire about the Mustang Mach-E, and some of the answers to simple questions about the Mustang Mach-E and general electric vehicle ownership are shocking. Clearly, some dealership staff members are woefully ill-informed about the Mustang Mach-E, which is alarming.

The calls took place three weeks after the Mustang Mach-E's debut to give staff enough time to be trained with the required knowledge. Of the 15 dealerships called, only one sales rep was informed enough to hold a conversation, according to EV Bite. Each initial rep transferred the caller to someone who was "more informed," who would then sometimes transfer them to another adviser. In some calls, the "more informed" staff member was not available, so the caller's questions were never answered.

Simply starting the call asking for more information about the Mach-E resulted in confusion, as some staff had seemingly never heard of Ford's electric SUV. Some staff resorted to searching on Google to answer questions as basic as "how do you charge an electric car?"

Others also gave misinformation, claiming the Mach-E can't be charged at home and that you can charge it with Tesla Superchargers, while some staff claimed it doesn't have enough range and that you're better off buying a plug-in hybrid. One dealership even told the caller a Tesla is better than the Mach-E but Ford's electric SUV is a better buy because it's cheaper. Yikes.

If Ford wants to convert traditional drivers and secure reservations for the Mach-E, its dealers clearly need to be properly informed.