A Ford spokesperson called Tesla's "Full Self-Driving" package "vaporware" in a dispute with a Tesla investor.
First, we realize that some of you may not know what vaporware means, so let's look at the official definition: In the computer industry, vaporware is a product, usually hardware or software, that is announced to the general public but is either delayed in release or never manufactured or officially canceled. The use of the word has expanded to include products like cars.
People at automakers who make public statements are generally very careful about what they say, especially when it comes to the competition, because they are official spokespersons for the company.
See also: Elon Musk: Tesla would never share data with China or the US
That's why we were surprised after seeing the disagreement between Mike Levine, Ford North America's communications director, and Ross Gerber, a Tesla investor.
See also: Europe: Ford commits to selling only EVs by 2030
Levine leads Ford's communications for cars, trucks, SUVs and electrified vehicles in North America, according to his LinkedIn.
Gerber tagged him in a Twitter comment that compared the Mustang Mach-E to the Tesla Model Y, saying that Ford dealers were charging extra fees for the new electric SUV.
Levine responded by saying that the media itself is comparing Tesla vehicles to the Mach-E and that Tesla is "reaching out" to customers with Full Self-Driving "Vaporware":
In subsequent tweets, Levine offered to help anyone interested in the Mustang Mach-E find another dealer if they were charged additional fees.
See also: Ford: Chooses Google as its cloud services provider
Ford has looked into the issue and created a list of dealerships that have committed to not markup the Mustang Mach-E.
Source of information: electrek.co
