I’ll mention another possible scan tool that might work with FDRS apart from VCM2/3. It’s called the VXDIAG VCX Nano, only costs $95.
https://www.vxdiagshop.com/wholesale/vxdiag-vcx-nano-for-ford-mazda-2-in-1.html
Warning: The software sets off a bunch of trojan warnings with your antivirus software. These could be real or false alarms (I’m not sure), but I would recommend you use it on a laptop you don’t really care about that doesn’t have any sensitive files.
When you get it, do not install any software from the CD, download the install files directly from the manufacturer here: VX Manager
Install the software, update the device firmware to latest, and install the J2534 driver. If you have install issues, disable your antivirus and restart. After things are installed the VXDIAG will show up as a device in FDRS. After you’re done updating your vehicle, I recommend uninstalling the software and doing a full antivirus scan to remove the leftovers.
I’ve used this successfully to update my other Ford vehicles via FJDS, which is an older version of this software, nothing bad happened. FDRS also appeared to work, it connected to my 2021 Mustang Mache-E and read modules, etc., but my vehicles aren’t supported by FDRS so there was nothing I could “do” with the software. Since both programs use J2534 interfaces, I’m fairly confident VXDIAG will work for Mach-E updates in FDRS but I don’t have my Mach-E yet to check 100%. If somebody wants to try, this would be cheaper than the Mongoose interface.
I’ll also emphasize the importance of having a good battery power supply connected properly during the update process (connect to the negative body, not the battery). The Mach-E will draw 25-30 amps during the updates and you must maintain the voltage or the updates will fail and possibly brick your modules. Especially important for the longer IPMA and RFA updates. If you don’t have a charger or supply that is quite big enough, use jumper cables to connect a fully-charged large battery that has a reserve capacity (RC) of at least 180 minutes. Make sure everything is fully recharged before doing the IPMA update (the laptop should be connected to power too for the 1.5 hour update).