howardbc

It's nice to "talk" to everyone again. And I really am an old-timer. I got my first Tesla at age 73. I remember asking the saleswoman if I was her oldest customer and she laughed and said "Oh, no, I had a couple in their 90s!" That was 5+ years ago. But I have to say that I still get a little bit of a lump in my throat when I see an Energi, although they are very rare. I have always gotten emotionally attached to all my cars. But I am never going back to a gas car. I will be watching Ford unveil their Lightning electric truck. I hope it's a big success.

Hi, Russael. First off, my thoughts go out to your amazing wife as she is on the frontlines of the battle against Covid. I hope she stays safe and well. On the solar panels, I don't have a power wall/battery or a generator. My panels cover at least 90% of my monthly power bills and outages are extremely rare. Your Expedition is 22 years old?? That's amazing. I'd say that whatever works for you and for your wife, that's what you should be doing. It's the old "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" system. Wishing you all the best.

Good for you for getting off the dinosaur juice! Where I am (central Arizona), I don't need a lawnmower and certainly not a snow blower. I had solar panels put on my roof in 2006 and then the rest in 2014, so my EV is literally powered by the sun.

Thanks, Murphy! I remember your name now. I'm so glad to hear that you have tried other cars. I drove my 2016 Model S 70 from Arizona to central Florida and back with no problems in 2018. The range on it was only 230 miles but I didn't mind since I wanted to stop frequently. But the S I have now will go 400+ miles on a charge. But Covid has kept me homebound. So excited about your Mach-E Premium! I really don't care which EV people drive. I just want to see more TVs out there. Have a friend who just started a job at Lucid. Wishing you all the best.

Neil, I am so sorry you’re having these serious issues with your car. If I could, I would snap my fingers and put you in a true 100% electric car. I traded my 2013 Energi for a 2016 Tesla Model S and I will NEVER go back to anything that runs even partially on gas. Buy a Mach-E if you like Fords. Or buy a Chevy Bolt or a Tesla or another EV. I think the Tesla Model 3 starts at around $37k but after that you have zero gas expenses. And no oil changes, no maintenance except for tires. The torque on a Tesla is something you have to experience to understand. There are so many lies about Teslas and EVs in general. I meant to quit this forum but just never got around to it. I expect to now be kicked off and that’s okay. Wishing you all the best.

So you are not considering getting into a true EV? The Ford Fusion Energi is a plugin hybrid. It has a gas engine and uses oil too. The Honda Civic would be less complicated but a car that runs on electricity only is the simplest. An electric motor has only between 1 and 4 moving parts. Compare that to a gas engine. I loved my Fusion Energi and got great mileage with it but I will never go back to a gas car again. I wish you all the best.

Neil, I wish you all the best but it sounds like you need to get a new car. I hope you will seriously look at something that is 100% electric. I traded my 2013 for a new EV (not sure if I’m allowed to say what brand) and it has honestly been an incredibly wonderful experience. No more oil changes or belts and hoses, etc. I haven’t bought any gasoline since early 2016. I charge the car in my garage. I have driven from Arizona to Florida and back in it. Never a serious problem. Just do a lot of research, but the best information will come from EV owners themselves. If you don’t know where to start, contact Plugin America, a non-profit who can help. Maybe find a Facebook page for EVs and ask a lot of questions. Over 10 years ago, I joined a local group of people who were interested in converting their gas cars to EVs. I learned so much - mainly that I would have to wait and buy a car that was already an EV. Good luck to you.

Hi, jeff_h. That is so funny! I too felt like a voyeur but then also deleted my MyFordMobile account and app after my 2013 FFET appeared to have been finally sold. I was curious too and also felt some sadness and hoped it would go to a good home. Silly, I know. But I'm kind of surprised that Ford doesn't immediately delete the account for cars that have been sold. I could have sounded the horn or done other things. (I didn't but I suppose it was possible.) I would love to know who bought the car and how they're doing with it but I guess that's not possible.

'Wishing you all the best, rowekmr. After my 2013 FFET was sold to the wholesaler, I was able to "follow" it (via the MyFordMobile app) to a car lot Chicago where it sat for a long time. Then it went to the Denver area where it appeared to be in a residential area. It was a "cream puff." Low mileage, excellent condition. The 12v battery did die on me but that was the only problem I ever had with it. After 3 years I was averaging 97MPG. I only used the 120 wall outlet in my garage to charge it. Let us know what you get.

HI. I am helping someone to set up MFM on her 2016 FFE. I downloaded/installed the app on her iPhone. She received the confirming email from MFM. I entered her car's VIN#, etc. Then it said to continue the setup on the display in her car but didn't say exactly what to do. What is she supposed to do on the display at this point? Where on the display is she supposed to go? I know it takes 24 hours after the next step is done. I had a 2013 FFET but the salesperson set up MFM for me and I don't remember the steps. So simple step-by-step instructions would be appreciated. Thanks so much.

Thanks, flyingcheesehead, and everyone, for the kind words. Yes, I am enjoying my Tesla Model S very much. The whole leasing and delivery process was so different from your typical dealership - I'm sorry to say. The car drives/rides so smoothly, the regenerative braking is very strong, and even my 70 kw has unbelievable power and torque. I have met so many very nice fellow Tesla owners since I got the S in March. Have gone on road trips. Lots of fun and camaraderie. Then there's the whole thing of NEVER having to stop at a gas station or for an oil change. The emissions sticker is good for 5 years. Car-pool lane access. I charge using the 30-amp outlet for my clothes dryer. My solar panels take care of the electricity. The batteries will charge up to 230 miles but I normally keep it at around 190. That's more than enough just for running around town. But for longer trips the SuperCharger system is fantastic. Still, when I look at a Ford Fusion, I feel a sense of sadness because THAT could have been Ford's "Tesla Model 3." It's the right size. But the corporate commitment just wasn't there. Hopefully Ford will catch up. Thanks again.

I'm assuming you are getting good info on all that. If not, talk to someone at Tesla. I could have gotten the AP for a 30-day trial but didn't do it because didn't want to spend the money later on. Everything is sent wirelessly. No dealership visits. Hoping it all works out for you.

Hi, Hybridbear. I was reluctant to say what EV I got because it isn't a Ford and I didn't want to appear to "diss" Ford. But what I got is a 2016 Tesla Model S with the 70kwh batteries. No, I'm not rich but was very surprised that I could afford to lease it even on my mostly-Social Security income. I got the least expensive model at the time but they just came out with one that is even less. Of course I traded my 2013 FFET and got a very good price for it since it was in mint condition. I never in a million years thought I'd be able to even sniff a Tesla but I just had to go for it. My heart still skips a beat every time I see a Fusion and I visualize that car with the battery pack under the floor board but that just wasn't in Ford's plans. Thanks.

After almost 3 years, I traded my 2013 Ford Fusion Energi . I really want to thank the members of this forum for all their help and feedback for the time I had the car. The car was in mint condition when I traded it. 16,466 miles. I truly loved my FFE but found out I could afford an EV. I started with a hybrid (a Prius), then bought the plugin hybrid FFE, but my ultimate goal was always to get a true EV. I'm at the age where one has "Bucket Lists" and an EV was a dream of mine. I always felt sad that Ford didn't enthusiastically "sell" the great things about the FFE, and that the general public isn't educated well enough to appreciate the technology behind the FFE. I really hope the new owner gets good information from a club or someone who really understands the car. I had absolutely no problems with the car except for the 12V battery dying right before I traded it. Oddly, I can still follow my car on MFM so I know roughly where it is. Thank you again, everyone, for all your feedback.

Good idea to just remove all the glued-on logos! That makes your car different.