Early adopter irked by how car provisions; Ford NZ explains why it comes that way.

PROVISION with his Mustang Mach-E of a different kind of charging cable than he expected has upset a first wave adopter of Ford’s just-released electric car.

The man has taken to share his thoughts on a popular national electric vehicle owners’ social media site, with almost 100 responses at time of this story’s posting.

He believes he has a case to take to the Commerce Commission. Some respondents have suggested the Motor Vehicle Disputes’ Tribunal is more appropriate. However, the owner community is also divided if there is any case to answer whatsoever.

Core to his grievance is a now withdrawn advisory from Ford New Zealand about its electrified cars he says left impression Mach-E had the same sort of home charging equipment as a plug-in hybrid car the make also sells.

Since the man went public on Wednesday, Ford New Zealand has explained why its first bespoke electric doesn’t avail with kit which would allow replenishment from an ordinary household wall socket.

It says it decided to instead provision a cable that hooks into public chargers because Ford in North America could not authorise a suitable trickle charger for the car as it formats for New Zealand and Australia. 

“We cannot give him a three-pin charger, we don’t have one,” a spokesman explained.

The information the complainant had referred to had been published more than a year ago in respect to the PHEV Escape, another sports utility that has been available for some time. 

Ford NZ says it had erroneously associated with material relating to the Mach-E and was amended once the error was identified. 

Home charging cables that run directly off the mains are the slowest form of replenishment.

While once common, not all fully electric cars now have them, particularly product with large and powerful batteries. Mach-E falls into that category.

Ford North America suggests achieving total replenishment of a depleted Mach-E from a wall plug in the United States, where household supply is stronger than in New Zealand, would depending on battery size require up to a 49 hour stay.

Brands now advocate owners install home charging stations that boost the supply. Ford’s has one for the Mach-E, developed in co-operation with a local specialist, Singer, it sells as a cost-extra. 

The Type 2-to-Type 2 cable (above) that comes with the car is apparently compatible with this, as well as public charging outlets that require a EV driver to supply their own cable.

Ford New Zealand said it and the South Island dealership which sold the car had sought to reconcile the man’s issues, to point of offering to buy the car back.

“The dealer has bent over backwards for this guy, they have even done a site vision to his house to see if they can find a solution,” the Ford NZ spokesman said.

“We offered to the buy the car back and he declined.”