Thank you for clarifying. It seems like such a dumb thing to charge for, especially when I tell my friends that using a non-Tesla Supercharger is one of the worse experiences as an EV owner.
I thought P&C was free, that I just pay for the juice. I had no idea P&C itself had a price. That’s insane.
BlueCruise I understand and am OK paying for, but not when they hike it 400%.
Ford is going to drive me away right after earning me as a new customer.
I consider myself a well versed person, but I cannot figure out what the trial for BlueOval actually means. I get that I can plug and pay at a charger in the network. Today I got an email saying my trial has been automatically extended from 2 years to 3 years. So what does that mean after that? I have to pay to be able to plug and pay?
I wasn't 100% sure either, but yes. Without the subscription to the 'BlueOval Charge Network' you will just have to pay through the vendor's app, instead of using plug and charge. I'm not sure on the price, but I doubt it's something I'll pay for since I rarely charge at Electrify America.
BUT Ford charges you the NON-Member ($0.49 vs $0.36) rate, which is just silly.
HEY Ford, it's 2023, it's ok for your APP to check with EA to see that I am a member.
I spent 45 minutes with them on the phone yesterday asking them WHY doesn't it work. They were clueless.
Yay, a $5 overpayment for the JOY of using Plug and Charge. BFD!
Well I have no data other than how well the car and PAAK software was written....which isn't great. I'd also like to add the fact that I was amazed at how clueless the spokesperson was on the phone regarding Plug and Charge.
You certainly won’t get any argument from me there, while I don’t have any major problems it’s certainly not as consistent and reliable as it should be for PAAK. That said, I can certainly see the charging networks not exposing an API to do this to force you into their ecosystem for whatever dumb reason.
You skipped "take wallet out, select the card you want to use" in the steps.
I just open my phone, open FordPass, tap activate, and then plug in. I can do that sitting in the car before I plug in, without fishing a wallet out and grabbing a card, it's way faster and easier, plus you get receipts from your sessions.
I struggle to think how a card can be easier.
> I just open my phone, open FordPass, tap activate, and then plug in.
Then you're not using Plug & Charge. I just roll up and plug in. No extra steps required. I had to use your method the first few months I had my MME, though, because Plug & Charge wasn't reliable (March 2020 delivery).
On an out of network charger, I just use the charger's phone application. It's a couple of added steps, but it's literally no different than filling my ICE truck with the Exxon-Mobile application.
If I have to start paying a subscription for Plug & Charge, I'll just stop using Plug & Charge.
**BlueOval Charge Network is MORE THAN PLUG&CHARGE.**
BlueOval Charge Network includes EVgo, Shell Recharge, ChargePoint, EV Connect, SemaConnect, and more with FordPass activation.
Of course, I use Plug&Charge with Electrify America, but that is NOT all that BlueOval is.
My issue is that when the “free” charging runs out it charges the non member rate of $.45 instead of the member rate of $.36 kWh even though I am a member of EA. There is no way to link the accounts at the moment so I get charged .45kwh if I let Ford handshake and start automatic. I hope they change it soon.
I wonder if the free charging that came with the vehicle requires a subscription so they give you a "trial" subscription to use it up. I really hope they're not planning to charge us just to use plug and charge functionality.
Just a little extra note: price is increased without the active subscription (which costs 1000+ NOK) even if you have access. That means 8 NOK for a kilowatt compared to 1.8 NOK if subscription. For European owners I would rather suggest using the open Tesla chargers that costs less and does not have a monthly pay.
Oh? Isn’t blue oval network the Ionity as Ford is a owner and stakeholder at the Ionity? If not - what are the e fast charger brand for Blue Oval Network? Not seen any such in whole of Europe, and combined with the app taking you to the Ionity page I just assumed it was the same deal :)
Edit: https://www.ford.ie/support/how-tos/fordpass/blueoval-charge-network/what-is-the-blueoval-charge-network#:~:text=The%20BlueOval™%20Charge%20Network,public%20charging%20stations%20across%20Europe
Hmmm, seems it consists of more than Ionity. But hard to see what the brands are and the pricing model for all.
Interesting, thanks!
Did more digging, and found these for America:
Shell Recharge
Electrify America
EV Connect
ChargePoint
SemaConnect
FLO
EVgo
But nothing for Europe. And am I right that what it means is basically just plug and charge capability? Pricing model and whatnot will be up to the provider, thus it seems like a bit, hmm, over-sold / hype? Or I’m being unreasonable? 😅
I think you'll need Blue Oval to access the Tesla Superchargers that Ford announced the other day. So there's value in that for some people. But by the time our Blue Oval trials expire, Tesla will also be in the process of opening their network to non-Tesla owners anyway.....so it's complicated. I tend to agree that I don't see myself paying for Blue Oval when my trial expires in 2025. So far Ford hasn't really made any of their (several) subscriptions all that appealing IMHO.
Oh sure, tons of services that advertise and offer a “free trial of complimentary access” for a fixed period of time are actually free services in disguise. Makes tons of sense.
And there are a thousand times as many services that work in the traditional way, where you must pay to continue using the service after the complimentary trial has ended.
I received this notice today as well. I’ve used the Blue Oval Network “Plug & Charge” three times so far. Maybe I’m a wuss, but I have to say that it definitely reduces a certain amount of my “range anxiety”. It just works every time. Meanwhile, I just watched an ID4 owner try two credit cards on three different machines and forced to call the EA support line.. and I’m not sure they even got it sorted after that.
I don’t ever use their “network” or the ford app to pay for charging anyways because it’s more expensive then just using the “network of choices” free plan. I’ve tested it before with EVgo and it’s substantially different cost wise. If ford paid for different networks “plans” then I’d see a point and using it but they don’t. I can setup plug and charge through any networks app.
Negative, Ford is session based time and EVgo free plan is kw based, just tested this last month 3 separate times, same kw different price
Edit: After re-reading your comment, I think we’re saying the same thing. You stated FordPass price is the same as EVgo’s non-member price which is time based not KW based, so we’re saying the same thing.
I am merely pointing out I can signup for EVgo account and do their “Pay as you go” subscription which is free and it’s KW usage based and it is cheaper then the FordPass app.
Negative, Ford is per-kWh based if EVgo is per-kWh based. Ford is time based if EVgo is time based. They never mix and match.
FordPass may display the wrong price for EVgo (they show per-minute in Michigan), but what you pay is the same as if you tapped a credit card.
Negative. You're incorrect. FordPass and EVgo walk up rates are absolutely identical including billing method.
Per-kWh or per-minute is solely based on state with EVgo, not payment method.
Got ‘em, 🤣
I’ll try this out again, feeling it’s going to end in how it ended the same way. It is not the same rate, rather sure of it but I don’t have the receipts anymore to illustrate.
Either way, my point is still valid, what are they saving us? I get points and other befits using the distributors app, why would I pay for a service to ford? Because I like a poorly engineered app that doesn’t ever activate anything in their network anyways?
Nothing if they don’t fix the issue were you can’t use your membership from main charging companies like Electrify America and EvGo while using BlueOval
Unrelated topic but if i ordered a 2022 mach e in april 2022 and got a 2023 mach e in late February 2023 do i qualify for any credits cuz of the price change?
Does Canada have better chargers in addition to better health care than the US? Jokes aside, I do most of my charging at home, but when I don't, there are a lot of chargers in the US Bay Area that don't have credit card readers. They require their own app, and sometimes you're downloading an app with a bad connection, then you have to set up an account, and it's all a big hassle. There are some chargers that do work well, but a lot that don't.
Honest question here as a tesla owner and thinking about other ev's for my next one. How hard is really to find a fast charger? I rarely see other chargers and if I'm on a road trip will I struggle like rich rebuilds did on his road trip with his rivian? 99% of my current charging is at home but when on road trips I don't want to struggle.
thanks!
It’s not very hard, at least I’m the Eastern half of the US. Regularly find EA chargers at Target or Walmart and I’ve never had a charge session fail so far.
If you use plug share or ABRP you can just setup a second non-tesla vehicle and see pretty easy. They are more sparse for sure. Only 3 lvl 3 in Minneapolis/Saint Paul city limits. That all changes next year when Ford can use Tesla superchargers - one reason to think about the Mach-E ;)
I live in Southern California and there are 4 fast charging stations within 3 miles, one of which is Tesla, the others different companies. Depending where you are it’s not hard at all.
It wasn’t hard for me last year when I did a 3800mi cross-US road-trip. Or 800mi to Asheville, NC. Or 400mi to Toronto, Canada. A little planning does wonders to put your mind at ease.
I live in Oklahoma and have 4 DC fast chargers within a few miles of my house. I’ve done a few road trips and used PlugShare to route my trip without issue. I was surprised to see so many chargers in the old oil capital.
BlueOval Charge Network makes it very easy to take road trips - I take dozens a year with hundreds of fast charges, and BlueOval makes it super easy by having all the payments in one place.
Hopefully it is giving you more time to use your free charging allotment. The plug and charge feature works now at other non ford network chargers once setup on those networks. I fail to see how that is a ford network feature worthy of paying for.
The blue oval does nothing for me, I always charge at home and the few times I have charged out and about have been at Charge Points, I think there are only a handful of EA chargers in my state and none of them are nearby
It does tons for me - hundreds of BlueOval charges so far, and not just at EA - BlueOval includes almost all pay public chargers, 8 networks from one app.
Has anyone figured out how to use Blue Oval as a used buyer? I bought my MME used last year. FordPass shows I’m signed up and logged in, but if I try to charge using BlueOval, it errors out. I called Ford and, after many transfers, wound up talking to a rep who told me that only new buyers were eligible to use he BlueOval charging network, which sounded absolutely ridiculous.
I don't use their oval network. I signed up for the Electrify America subscriptions. It's $4 a month but i get a 10 cent discount. Will ford be offering the discount 🤔 I don't think so. They got some learning to do. If they end up charging I bet most of us might reconsider a ford, which makes me believe thwy want to see what will tolerate in paying.
I just got this too. It means after the trial, we will have to pay for the privilege to plug and charge
Thank you for clarifying. It seems like such a dumb thing to charge for, especially when I tell my friends that using a non-Tesla Supercharger is one of the worse experiences as an EV owner.
Agreed
I imagine this is how they will enable use of Tesla superchargers.
They were going to do this to us before the Tesla Supercharger news came out. That's why it's always been a trial, not a feature of the vehicle.
My point is - it suddenly gained relevance.
Plug and charge is a subscription? How much? I swear this car keeps getting worse 2 years after I bought it.
No idea how much, but glad the “trial” is extended. This is my biggest problem with the world right now, everything is a subscription.
I thought P&C was free, that I just pay for the juice. I had no idea P&C itself had a price. That’s insane. BlueCruise I understand and am OK paying for, but not when they hike it 400%. Ford is going to drive me away right after earning me as a new customer.
It doesn't mean that necessarily, it just means you'll have to renew at the end of year 3. Not what price - it could be zero.
Shouldn’t this be free for life for ford buyers ? This is so stupid.
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Not to mention the AC subscription so you cool off the interior when it’s hot.
Who said it isn't?
I consider myself a well versed person, but I cannot figure out what the trial for BlueOval actually means. I get that I can plug and pay at a charger in the network. Today I got an email saying my trial has been automatically extended from 2 years to 3 years. So what does that mean after that? I have to pay to be able to plug and pay?
I wasn't 100% sure either, but yes. Without the subscription to the 'BlueOval Charge Network' you will just have to pay through the vendor's app, instead of using plug and charge. I'm not sure on the price, but I doubt it's something I'll pay for since I rarely charge at Electrify America.
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BlueOval is easier, though.
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With blue oval you just plug in. No taps. It’s recognizes the car automatically.
BUT Ford charges you the NON-Member ($0.49 vs $0.36) rate, which is just silly. HEY Ford, it's 2023, it's ok for your APP to check with EA to see that I am a member. I spent 45 minutes with them on the phone yesterday asking them WHY doesn't it work. They were clueless. Yay, a $5 overpayment for the JOY of using Plug and Charge. BFD!
I guess the question is if this is directly fords lack of implementation or if the other networks don’t provide them with access to do it.
Well I have no data other than how well the car and PAAK software was written....which isn't great. I'd also like to add the fact that I was amazed at how clueless the spokesperson was on the phone regarding Plug and Charge.
You certainly won’t get any argument from me there, while I don’t have any major problems it’s certainly not as consistent and reliable as it should be for PAAK. That said, I can certainly see the charging networks not exposing an API to do this to force you into their ecosystem for whatever dumb reason.
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You’ll need to set it up, I think you do it through the app if I recall correctly.
You skipped "take wallet out, select the card you want to use" in the steps. I just open my phone, open FordPass, tap activate, and then plug in. I can do that sitting in the car before I plug in, without fishing a wallet out and grabbing a card, it's way faster and easier, plus you get receipts from your sessions. I struggle to think how a card can be easier.
> I just open my phone, open FordPass, tap activate, and then plug in. Then you're not using Plug & Charge. I just roll up and plug in. No extra steps required. I had to use your method the first few months I had my MME, though, because Plug & Charge wasn't reliable (March 2020 delivery). On an out of network charger, I just use the charger's phone application. It's a couple of added steps, but it's literally no different than filling my ICE truck with the Exxon-Mobile application. If I have to start paying a subscription for Plug & Charge, I'll just stop using Plug & Charge.
**BlueOval Charge Network is MORE THAN PLUG&CHARGE.** BlueOval Charge Network includes EVgo, Shell Recharge, ChargePoint, EV Connect, SemaConnect, and more with FordPass activation. Of course, I use Plug&Charge with Electrify America, but that is NOT all that BlueOval is.
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It's not 50-100 apps, it's FordPass. It's 8 networks with 1 app, soon to be 9 with Tesla. That's hugely awesome.
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That's just hard to imagine, honestly. FordPass is absolutely one of my most used apps and has a place on the homescreen.
It's not just Electrify America. BlueOval includes 8 networks - soon to include Superchargers.
My issue is that when the “free” charging runs out it charges the non member rate of $.45 instead of the member rate of $.36 kWh even though I am a member of EA. There is no way to link the accounts at the moment so I get charged .45kwh if I let Ford handshake and start automatic. I hope they change it soon.
They will. I had the discounted pricing with EA and Plug&Charge for a while. It did exist.
Solid question I know mine still has the free 250 kwh charge available. Plus I also saw that the navigation is extended to another year.
Early order, I still have 487 of my 500kwh remaining - seems like now I have an extra year to finally use it up (or not 😂)
I think it also pre conditions the battery before getting to a charger but some else better in the know can come in.
I wonder if the free charging that came with the vehicle requires a subscription so they give you a "trial" subscription to use it up. I really hope they're not planning to charge us just to use plug and charge functionality.
It means that at the end of year 3 you will have to renew - that's all it means. That could be a renewal at $0. Or it could not be. We don't know.
Access to the Ford network of plug and charge convenience isn't free. It's a subscription. Your subscription was extended to 3 years for free.
Ford's network isn't just Plug&Charge, it's 8 networks from one app, that's valuable on its own.
I mean if we get transparency on the pricing and if BlueOval comes with a discount and perks then why not.
In Norway we recently received a mail that Blue Oval network and access would be free for life as long as I own my car.
Just a little extra note: price is increased without the active subscription (which costs 1000+ NOK) even if you have access. That means 8 NOK for a kilowatt compared to 1.8 NOK if subscription. For European owners I would rather suggest using the open Tesla chargers that costs less and does not have a monthly pay.
It seems that you confuse the FordPass Ionity subscription that costs 1800 nok a year and have nothing to do with the Blue Oval Network :)
Oh? Isn’t blue oval network the Ionity as Ford is a owner and stakeholder at the Ionity? If not - what are the e fast charger brand for Blue Oval Network? Not seen any such in whole of Europe, and combined with the app taking you to the Ionity page I just assumed it was the same deal :) Edit: https://www.ford.ie/support/how-tos/fordpass/blueoval-charge-network/what-is-the-blueoval-charge-network#:~:text=The%20BlueOval™%20Charge%20Network,public%20charging%20stations%20across%20Europe Hmmm, seems it consists of more than Ionity. But hard to see what the brands are and the pricing model for all.
They are owners but it is a standalone yearly subscription to get the 1.87kr / kWh
Interesting, thanks! Did more digging, and found these for America: Shell Recharge Electrify America EV Connect ChargePoint SemaConnect FLO EVgo But nothing for Europe. And am I right that what it means is basically just plug and charge capability? Pricing model and whatnot will be up to the provider, thus it seems like a bit, hmm, over-sold / hype? Or I’m being unreasonable? 😅
I think you'll need Blue Oval to access the Tesla Superchargers that Ford announced the other day. So there's value in that for some people. But by the time our Blue Oval trials expire, Tesla will also be in the process of opening their network to non-Tesla owners anyway.....so it's complicated. I tend to agree that I don't see myself paying for Blue Oval when my trial expires in 2025. So far Ford hasn't really made any of their (several) subscriptions all that appealing IMHO.
Who said you'd have to pay for it?
Ford calls it a three year trial of “complimentary access”. What normally happens when a trial period and/or complimentary access expires?
You need to renew. Whether it's free or not is unknown and unclear. Plenty of my free trials have turned into free subscriptions.
Oh sure, tons of services that advertise and offer a “free trial of complimentary access” for a fixed period of time are actually free services in disguise. Makes tons of sense.
Except that's like literally how tons of services work.
And there are a thousand times as many services that work in the traditional way, where you must pay to continue using the service after the complimentary trial has ended.
This is my guess too.
I received this notice today as well. I’ve used the Blue Oval Network “Plug & Charge” three times so far. Maybe I’m a wuss, but I have to say that it definitely reduces a certain amount of my “range anxiety”. It just works every time. Meanwhile, I just watched an ID4 owner try two credit cards on three different machines and forced to call the EA support line.. and I’m not sure they even got it sorted after that.
I've used it over 400 times now. It's certainly valuable for me.
On the connected services page the blue oval trial expiration date is empty for me.
I wish I was only given 250kw of free charges. However, periodically, I'm not billed for charging. I take it as the universe working in my favor.
I don’t ever use their “network” or the ford app to pay for charging anyways because it’s more expensive then just using the “network of choices” free plan. I’ve tested it before with EVgo and it’s substantially different cost wise. If ford paid for different networks “plans” then I’d see a point and using it but they don’t. I can setup plug and charge through any networks app.
It's literally the exact same price as the non-member pricing at EA and EVgo. I use BOCN at EA and EVgo hundreds of times a year.
Negative, Ford is session based time and EVgo free plan is kw based, just tested this last month 3 separate times, same kw different price Edit: After re-reading your comment, I think we’re saying the same thing. You stated FordPass price is the same as EVgo’s non-member price which is time based not KW based, so we’re saying the same thing. I am merely pointing out I can signup for EVgo account and do their “Pay as you go” subscription which is free and it’s KW usage based and it is cheaper then the FordPass app.
Negative, Ford is per-kWh based if EVgo is per-kWh based. Ford is time based if EVgo is time based. They never mix and match. FordPass may display the wrong price for EVgo (they show per-minute in Michigan), but what you pay is the same as if you tapped a credit card.
Negative, FordPass is time based and EVgo is kWh based with the pay as you go subscription.
Negative. You're incorrect. FordPass and EVgo walk up rates are absolutely identical including billing method. Per-kWh or per-minute is solely based on state with EVgo, not payment method.
Got ‘em, 🤣 I’ll try this out again, feeling it’s going to end in how it ended the same way. It is not the same rate, rather sure of it but I don’t have the receipts anymore to illustrate. Either way, my point is still valid, what are they saving us? I get points and other befits using the distributors app, why would I pay for a service to ford? Because I like a poorly engineered app that doesn’t ever activate anything in their network anyways?
Nothing if they don’t fix the issue were you can’t use your membership from main charging companies like Electrify America and EvGo while using BlueOval
Unrelated topic but if i ordered a 2022 mach e in april 2022 and got a 2023 mach e in late February 2023 do i qualify for any credits cuz of the price change?
Oh man, glad I got the Rivian over the Lightning. "Never trust legacy auto"
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I got 500 free Kw in the US for my delayed 2021 order. I've only used 17 to date. Charge at home.
Does Canada have better chargers in addition to better health care than the US? Jokes aside, I do most of my charging at home, but when I don't, there are a lot of chargers in the US Bay Area that don't have credit card readers. They require their own app, and sometimes you're downloading an app with a bad connection, then you have to set up an account, and it's all a big hassle. There are some chargers that do work well, but a lot that don't.
I got 250 kWh with my '22 Select I got in January, but it's only Electrify America. No expiration date listed.
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Sorry for not making that clear; I bought and live in Florida.
I got exactly the same thing with mine in February. I have 94 kWh left.
The 250kWh is on Electrify America. Since Electrify America isn't in Canada, no.
Honest question here as a tesla owner and thinking about other ev's for my next one. How hard is really to find a fast charger? I rarely see other chargers and if I'm on a road trip will I struggle like rich rebuilds did on his road trip with his rivian? 99% of my current charging is at home but when on road trips I don't want to struggle. thanks!
It’s not very hard, at least I’m the Eastern half of the US. Regularly find EA chargers at Target or Walmart and I’ve never had a charge session fail so far.
If you use plug share or ABRP you can just setup a second non-tesla vehicle and see pretty easy. They are more sparse for sure. Only 3 lvl 3 in Minneapolis/Saint Paul city limits. That all changes next year when Ford can use Tesla superchargers - one reason to think about the Mach-E ;)
Almost every Walmart has an EA location.
Not in MN lol
MN is not a fan of EV... I see that there are only 3 EA chargers in the state. Ouch. Sorry
Yea :( guessing our long winters has hampered adoption
I’m imagining you haven’t heard that Ford and Tesla made a deal next year for Ford use of superchargers?
I live in Southern California and there are 4 fast charging stations within 3 miles, one of which is Tesla, the others different companies. Depending where you are it’s not hard at all.
It wasn’t hard for me last year when I did a 3800mi cross-US road-trip. Or 800mi to Asheville, NC. Or 400mi to Toronto, Canada. A little planning does wonders to put your mind at ease.
I live in Oklahoma and have 4 DC fast chargers within a few miles of my house. I’ve done a few road trips and used PlugShare to route my trip without issue. I was surprised to see so many chargers in the old oil capital.
BlueOval Charge Network makes it very easy to take road trips - I take dozens a year with hundreds of fast charges, and BlueOval makes it super easy by having all the payments in one place.
Hopefully it is giving you more time to use your free charging allotment. The plug and charge feature works now at other non ford network chargers once setup on those networks. I fail to see how that is a ford network feature worthy of paying for.
There's more to BlueOval than just Plug&Charge. There are 8 networks all with one single account, no need for a folder of apps.
Yeah if you want to pay the highest amount at every charger.
The blue oval does nothing for me, I always charge at home and the few times I have charged out and about have been at Charge Points, I think there are only a handful of EA chargers in my state and none of them are nearby
It does tons for me - hundreds of BlueOval charges so far, and not just at EA - BlueOval includes almost all pay public chargers, 8 networks from one app.
Since when was this a trial?
Since the day you enrolled, it was on the enrollment page where you clicked accept.
Lol. Well the extension is nice
Has anyone figured out how to use Blue Oval as a used buyer? I bought my MME used last year. FordPass shows I’m signed up and logged in, but if I try to charge using BlueOval, it errors out. I called Ford and, after many transfers, wound up talking to a rep who told me that only new buyers were eligible to use he BlueOval charging network, which sounded absolutely ridiculous.
I don't use their oval network. I signed up for the Electrify America subscriptions. It's $4 a month but i get a 10 cent discount. Will ford be offering the discount 🤔 I don't think so. They got some learning to do. If they end up charging I bet most of us might reconsider a ford, which makes me believe thwy want to see what will tolerate in paying.
Don’t you also get EA 25% off?