Official Ford C-MAX Energi PHEV thread

[scottf200]

Title: How not to sell a Ford C-Max Energi - By: Andrew Stoy on 1/07/2013
http://www.autoweek.com/article/20130107/CARNEWS01/130109916" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
(via OhioEE on Volt forum)

 

[redLEAF]

Title: How not to sell a Ford C-Max Energi - By: Andrew Stoy on 1/07/2013
http://www.autoweek.com/article/20130107/CARNEWS01/130109916" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
(via OhioEE on Volt forum)

Could just as easily been titled how not to sell 'X' brand and 'X' model but I wonder if this is more prevalent in the old line U.S. brands versus foreign makes. Good and knowledgeable customer service should always win out ... look at Apple, etc. In my own case while test driving the C-Max (both versions), my rep was somewhat knowledgeable on the basics and always offered to get more info but would not consider him an expert although he freely admitted it versus misdirecting a customer. My Nissan dealer 'lost' his LEAF expert during my own purchase process (moved closer to where he lived) but at least they had a very knowledgeable mechanic who was quite good during the delivery process; at least a lot better than what this guy received at his Ford dealer. What's funny is that most dealers emphasize getting high customer service scores (most, but perhaps not this one) so why not properly train their people, etc.?

At this point the C-Max doesn't need any more bad press even though it's a single anecdote so doesn't bode well for its future customer perception and reputation of getting a hold of someone who even knows the car when shopping for one.

 

[scottf200]

Could just as easily been titled how not to sell 'X' brand and 'X' model but I wonder if this is more prevalent in the old line U.S. brands versus foreign makes.

True for title but not content. They don't get using the grid for an *EV car.

It's basically the same as the regular C-Max, with a few extras.'”

“They could not tell me how and when the car would be using electric [power] and when it would be operating in gas/hybrid mode. There is a button on the dash that has 'EV' on it. When you push it, a screen pops up on the dash and gives you three choices: Auto, EV, & EV+. At the dealer I asked about the button and pushed it. The screen popped up and 'Auto' was selected and the other two options were not available. I asked why [this was the case] and no one could tell me. 'Once you start driving it, those will be available,' they said.”

Really? Could it have been that the battery was near empty on available juice, deactivating EV mode? As it turns out, yes.

 

[richard]

I can add another anecdote. A coworker who bought a C-MAX Energi was showing it to us last week. She said the new car orientation did not delve into the EV aspects in any depth.

She had to read the user manual to learn about the EV Auto, EV Now and EV Later modes. But she hadn't been shown where the EV button was. It's not in an obvious location (under the radio) and can be hard to spot when parked because the gear shift somewhat covers it up.

She is still trying to figure out when to use the modes. No advice given by the dealer.

And the worst sin (that I've discovered so far).. She wasn't told about the CA Clean Vehicle (CVRP) rebate! That would have been $1,500 down the toilet if she had missed it.

Ford has a "last mile" problem alright, and this article I fear is the tip of the iceberg.

 

[evnow]

Ford has a "last mile" problem alright, and this article I fear is the tip of the iceberg.

Actually, this is the problem with almost every manufacturer of every good. It is very difficult to get salesmen to learn the nitty gritty. They are paid for sales - and that is all they care about - with ofcourse exceptions.

When you walk into a Best Buy, for don't expect them to be experts in every model. When HDTV was introduced, for eg., the amount of misinformation that these guys were giving out was unbelievable.

 

[gsleaf]

I can add another anecdote. A coworker who bought a C-MAX Energi was showing it to us last week. She said the new car orientation did not delve into the EV aspects in any depth.

Richard, what expectations did she have about the electric portion of the vehicle going into the purchase? I'm wondering what made her purchase the C-MAX Energi vs. a standard hybrid.

 

[richard]

Richard, what expectations did she have about the electric portion of the vehicle going into the purchase? I'm wondering what made her purchase the C-MAX Energi vs. a standard hybrid.

Primarily that it qualified for the CA HOV sticker, and got a rebate (federal tax credit). And was less money than the Volt.

 

[EVee]

She had to read the user manual to learn about the EV Auto, EV Now and EV Later modes. But she hadn't been shown where the EV button was. It's not in an obvious location (under the radio) and can be hard to spot when parked because the gear shift somewhat covers it up.

She is still trying to figure out when to use the modes. No advice given by the dealer.

"She had to read the user manual " wow, what a concept! lol :lol:

People need to be spoon fed these days. There's so much information available to us at our fingertips, the whole idea of a 'salesman' is antiquated. Owners manuals are available online and there are tons of forums which are filled with experts. If I could by a car from Amazon.com I would.

p.s. the EV button was pretty obvious to me when I drove one. It's hard to miss if you ever use the A/C or the fuel door.

 

[richard]

"She had to read the user manual " wow, what a concept! lol :lol:

Sure, you can dismiss it and use a Ford promotional photo as your evidence, but this more accurately depicts what the driver sees

There is such a thing as bad interface design. And we're beyond first adopters. Some people will need their hands held a bit.

 

[EVee]

"She had to read the user manual " wow, what a concept! lol :lol:

Some people will need their hands held a bit.

Some people will need their hands held a bit?

To read an owners manual? Really?

If someone is too lazy or lacks the curiosity to read an owner's manual (or do a Google search), they probably shouldn't be buying a plug-in vehicle. Some people just want the carpool sticker and don't care about much else.

A feature like EV Now or EV Later is probably wasted on such a person and they're better off just ignoring that feature and leaving it set to Auto.

 

[richard]

If someone is too lazy or lacks the curiosity to read an owner's manual (or do a Google search), they probably shouldn't be buying a plug-in vehicle. Some people just want the carpool sticker and don't care about much else.

A feature like EV Now or EV Later is probably wasted on such a person and they're better off just ignoring that feature and leaving it set to Auto.

Why so black and white? There are people who'll buy it for the carpool sticker but who do want to use less gasoline. They'll go up the learning curve more slowly, but why not help them along?

If the EV button was so intuitive to everyone, we wouldn't have journalists feeling the need to write articles like these: article article

Your last statement is speculation because we don't know exactly how EV Auto works, but likely wrong. The Energi has an EV+ algorithm that tries to learn your typical charging locations. So eventually it will learn your home, for instance. It will automatically switch to electric-only mode for the last bit of the trip. The goal is to use up as much battery as possible before you're going to recharge it anyway. But it's set very conservatively, activating only "within an eighth of a mile -- or 200 meters" from your charging location. Any driver ought to be able to do better by keeping an eye on the battery DTE miles and switching to EV Now when they're that close to their destination. This could mean up to 21 miles driven electrically instead of just one-eighth.

This type of regular usage is why I think the EV button should be on the steering wheel (or even on the shifter) with the other "driving" controls rather than with the radio and climate controls.

 

[evnow]

If someone is too lazy or lacks the curiosity to read an owner's manual (or do a Google search), they probably shouldn't be buying a plug-in vehicle.

You have to build and sell Evs for the population we have - not for the population we wish we had.

 

[EVee]

If someone is too lazy or lacks the curiosity to read an owner's manual (or do a Google search), they probably shouldn't be buying a plug-in vehicle.

You have to build and sell Evs for the population we have - not for the population we wish we had.

I couldn't agree more, that's why there are sites like this.

I think most people have Internet access and most consumers in the new car market research it online first through the manufacturer's web site and sites such as this.

I know in my experience, when I've visited dealers I typically knew more than the sales staff and that includes the Nissan dealers I've visited.

 

[EVee]

If someone is too lazy or lacks the curiosity to read an owner's manual (or do a Google search), they probably shouldn't be buying a plug-in vehicle. Some people just want the carpool sticker and don't care about much else.

A feature like EV Now or EV Later is probably wasted on such a person and they're better off just ignoring that feature and leaving it set to Auto.

Why so black and white? There are people who'll buy it for the carpool sticker but who do want to use less gasoline. They'll go up the learning curve more slowly, but why not help them along?

If the EV button was so intuitive to everyone, we wouldn't have journalists feeling the need to write articles like these: article article

Your last statement is speculation because we don't know exactly how EV Auto works, but likely wrong. The Energi has an EV+ algorithm that tries to learn your typical charging locations.

That's incorrect, EV+ is not part of the EV Auto/Now/Later function, its controlled separately via the 5 way controller on the left side of the steering wheel. The non-plugin C-Max's also have EV+ just like the Energi. The non-plugin C-Max does not have the EV Auto/Now/Later button, only the Energi.

If the EV button was so intuitive to everyone, we wouldn't have journalists feeling the need to write articles like these: article article

I suggest you re-read the article you posted, I think you are perhaps confused.

Nowhere in the article is there any "confusion" expressed on how the EV button works, or where it's located.

The article is about someone who wasn't aware the Energi had the EV Now/Later functionality.

The article details how the Energi differs from the PIP, specifically about the EV Now/Later capability that the PIP does not have.

"Berman (editor of PluginCars.com) issued a mea culpa after having criticized Ford for seemingly hyping up the superior capabilities of the C-Max Energi "I learned that the C-Max Energi is indeed substantially more capable of driving purely as an EV than the Prius Plug-in," Berman writes.

He was unaware of the capability, not confused by it.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

some people ask simply because they are lazy, too busy to take the time or too tired. I find myself qualifying in all 3 categories frequently.

EVNow said it best. it really is what it is. most people spend so much of their time trying to manage their time that they find they have no time left over. lets face it. there is a ton of time management software out there but how much of it is really user friendly, easy and NOT time consuming?

 

[evnow]

Checking the lease rates for Energi, looks very high. $376 for a base Energi, with $1,999 down. Costlier than Leaf when it came out.

 

[GRA]

The current (March 2013) issue of Car and Driver has a fairly tepid review of the C-Max Energi. It's not online yet AFAICT, so you'll have to read it off the rack.

 

[TomT]

I had a chance to drive one for a day. I came away very unimpressed. But then, I wasn't impressed with the PiP either... Packaging considerations aside, The Volt is the only PHEV I have enjoyed to date.

 

[KeiJidosha]

So my wife’s 04 Murano is coming up for replacement soon. She has a 4 mile round trip daily commute, and 10 mile round trip to teach two nights a week, with 100+ mile trips 2-3 times a month. I’ve been lobbying for a BEV (RAV4EV), but am resigned that she will end up getting a plug-in hybrid. I have been telling her about the Ford C-Max Energi for at least a year. I can see the words going in one ear and out the other, to wit, I got this text today after she went for a walk at lunch;
“I saw a C-Max today. Super cute. Too bad it’s not a hybrid…” :lol:

 

[GRA]

So my wife’s 04 Murano is coming up for replacement soon. She has a 4 mile round trip daily commute, and 10 mile round trip to teach two nights a week, with 100+ mile trips 2-3 times a month. I’ve been lobbying for a BEV (RAV4EV), but am resigned that she will end up getting a plug-in hybrid. I have been telling her about the Ford C-Max Energi for at least a year. I can see the words going in one ear and out the other, to wit, I got this text today after she went for a walk at lunch;
“I saw a C-Max today. Super cute. Too bad it’s not a hybrid…” :lol:

Not knowing your wife's attitude towards exercise take this FWIW, but I'd say the heck with getting her a car - with a two mile one-way commute and a five mile commute twice a week, why on earth would she have any need for a car? Get her a bike (regular or electric) and keep the Murano for the long trips unless it's costing you an arm and a leg to maintain. Or take the money you saved by spending $500-$2,000 on a bike instead of thirty grand on a car, and replace the Murano with something that gets better mileage while not being too expensive.