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Ford quadruples price of BlueCruise technology, triggers Mustang Mach-E owner backlash

Phoebe Wall Howard   Detroit Free Press

When it comes to long trips and hands-free driving, the cost of Ford BlueCruise has surged.

Customers may choose a three-year subscription for $2,100 as part of a vehicle purchase or wait and decide later, activating a 90-day trial period before deciding to purchase a subscription. BlueCruise renewal pricing was also updated to an annual rate of $800 or a monthly rate of $75.

Previously, customers paid $200 annually. The price quadrupled.

When BlueCruise was first launched on the model year 2021 Mustang Mach-E, it was offered with a three-year subscription for $600, Ford spokesman Martin Gunsberg told the Detroit Free Press, part of the Paste BN Network. "There was no other pricing option, annual or monthly."

'This is an insult to your customers'

Now, BlueCruise will be available as a stand-alone option on the Ford Mustang Mach-E, "helping to lower the initial purchase price of the vehicle and giving customers the choice of when and how to activate the technology," Gunsberg said. Ford dealers learned of the pricing change in a memo earlier this month.

Meanwhile, the BlueCruise (BC) changes triggered shocked and angry Mustang Mach-E (MME) forum discussion among owners online, especially at macheforum.com. Here's a sample:

  • "I am a big, big fan of BC. Big fan ... Except at $800/yr. They can take a walk with that nonsense," said a May 5 post from Livonia, Michigan.
  • "This is a non-starter. Seriously, just the offer is an insult to your customers and is a stain on the customer relationship. You have to do better," said a May 17 post from Indiana.
  • "For me, $800/year would mean all of the savings from not having to do oil changes and other maintenance would be erased," said a May 17 post from Colorado.
  • "Ford really stubbed their toe with this announcement ... What Ford has put on the block as a subscribable service is not that important to people just yet. It may be their in three years, which might be what they are betting on," said a May 20 post from Pennsylvania.
  • "You are going to be sorry unless you make a course correction on this ... I own a Job 1 Mach-E, a Lightning, AND a '22 Lincoln Corsair GT," said a May 25 post from Ohio.

'I would not pay'

Ford actually posted a response letter to macheforum.com on May 17 seeking to clarify its BlueCruise pricing. The automaker pointed out that BlueCruise renewal for the 2021 model year Mach-E purchased with the optional BlueCruise package would be billed at a discounted rate of $200 a year for three years or $75 a month at the end of the initial subscription period. Following this discounted subscription cycle, customers would renew at the standard price, Ford said.

As for the backlash and potential for moving in a different price direction, Gunsberg told the Free Press on Friday: "We continue to engage with our customers and take their feedback seriously on any product or service we offer."

Karl Brauer, executive analyst at iSeeCars.com, was surprised to hear BlueCruise has gone from about $16 a month to more than $60 a month.

"Ford, like a lot of automakers, has this long-term aspiration of making all sorts of money through technology and subscription models," he told the Free Press. "You can't get much money out of selling an electric car but maybe you can make up for it by selling subscription services to people driving these cars. That's what they're thinking across the planet at the corporate level. And they think people are used to fees, but they're used to just $10 to $20 a month."

More: Ford reverses plan, vows to keep AM radio for its electric, non-electric vehicles

The Ford BlueCruise technology was rated the top active driving assistance program by Consumer Reports in January. BlueCruise pairs a vehicle’s adaptive cruise control system with a lane-centering assistance system and provides hands-free, eyes-on-the-road driving capability on more than 100,000 miles of divided highways in the U.S. and Canada.

Updated versions of BlueCruise include lane change assist, in-lane repositioning and predictive speed assist that automatically adjusts for upcoming sharp curves, Ford said.

The starting price of the Mach-E is $42,995, not including the standard $1,800 in delivery fees and charges. Ford confirmed it does qualify for potential Inflation Reduction Act federal tax credits in 2023 of $3,750.

No changes on Super Cruise for GM

Meanwhile, General Motors told the Detroit Free Press that the cost of Super Cruise has not changed.

For Cadillacs, Super Cruise is priced as a $2,500 option, said GM spokesperson Aimee Ridella. For GMCs and Chevrolets, Super Cruise is priced as a $2,200 option. Currently, all vehicles with Super Cruise hardware include three years of connectivity to support Super Cruise functionality, Ridella said. After three years, owners may subscribe for $25 per month or $250 per year.

For subscribers: Chrysler promises contemporary, edgy design for first fully electric vehicle

Free Press staff writer Jamie L. LaReau contributed to this report.

Contact Phoebe Wall Howard: 313-618-1034 or phoward@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @phoebesaid.

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