Ford Is Doing Something That Tesla Is Not Known For Doing: Putting A Hold On Deliveries To Double Check Quality.
Ford Is Doing Something That Tesla Is Not Known For Doing: Putting A Hold On Deliveries To Double Check Quality. “As part of our commitment to delivering high-quality vehicles, we are conducting additional quality checks on several hundred Mustang Mach-E models built before dealer shipments started last month,” Ford spokesperson Emma Bergg said in an email. The news was first reported by Electrek.
“We want to ensure they meet the quality our customers expect and deserve,” she added. That’s not the kind of statement that Tesla typically makes.
While Tesla delays aren’t by any means rare, the given reasons are typically different. For example, the most widely-reported were delays in Model 3 production in 2018. But those delays were attributed to addressing things like automation and production bottlenecks. And, of course, COVID-related delays last year.
A leaked email from CEO Elon Musk in June did mention that it is important to “minimize rectification needs” for the Model Y — referring to work done after vehicles leave the assembly line. But in the same sentence Musk also referred to the importance of ramping up Model Y production.
Darren Palmer, Ford’s global director for BEVs (Battery Electric Vehicles), said last month that fit and finish is important to Ford for the Mach-E. “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,” Palmer told Autoblog.
But Model Y quality has improved. I know somebody who purchased a Model Y at the end of December and he was pleased with the quality. And in November a Teslarati article said that “Tesla Model Y build quality shows vast improvements in recent production vehicle.” Besides, the Model Y has appeal for many buyers that transcends any perceived quality problems. That appeal includes performance, styling, software, range, and Tesla’s Supercharger network.
This news was originally published at Forbes.