The first-ever electric vehicle from Ford is the Mustang Mach E electric SUV. Hearing the word ‘Mustang’ and ‘Electric’ together is a bit of a shock for some die-hard fans of the V8 muscle car but Ford went all the way with this project and the result is quite amazing, to be honest.
The Mach E price range begins from $44,000, before tax credits and sits in the $40,000 to $60,000 price bracket which easily targets both the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y. Mustang Mach E is available in All-Wheel Drive and Rear Wheel Drive models offering dual-motor setup and relatively less battery range.
A fully specced out Mustang Mach E performance with 459 HP and 833 Nm of torque is set for launch sometime in the near future.
The Mustang Mach E leaked a few days ago and apart from some minor details, the car looks exactly the same. The Mustang Mach E is developed by an internal group of people at Ford motors, dedicated to making electric vehicles, called Team Edison.
The Mach E electric SUV is a brand new product built from the ground up. Furthermore, according to Jason Castriota, global brand director for BEC at Ford, the “decision to actually make a new Mustang was not taken lightly.”
“We know we have a very fervent fan base of diehard Mustang fans but we feel they’re very open-minded,” he added. Mustang has had a cult following since it launched in the ’60s and the Mach E pays homage to the classic performance car Mach 1 which belonged to the same era.
Ford is essentially using a well-established brand to penetrate the EV market, something they had planned some time ago. Will their strategy work? Let’s take a look at the Mustang electric SUV to find out.
Mustang Mach E: Specs, Price, Details, Features
Both the RWD and AWD Versions of Mustang Mach E are available in 75 kWh battery and 99 kWh battery options. The base model comes with an RWD setup and 200 miles of EPA certified range while the top model offers AWD with dual electric motors and 280 miles of EPA approved battery range.
The fuel efficiency is reduced in the AWD models which is why I see most people going for a Rear Wheel Drive version with 99 kWh battery. The Dual Motor AWD version produces 332 HP while the slowest single motor rear-wheel-drive version makes about 252 HP. The former goes from 0-60 mph in less than 7 seconds while the latter does the same in less than 8 seconds.
The Mach E performance, labeled for launch sometime later, will produce a whopping 459 HP (342 kW) and 833 Nm (612 ft-lb) of torque. It will have a 0-60 mph acceleration in under 3 seconds.
Mustang Mach E is available in three trims namely:
- First Edition (limited in numbers): $60,000
- Select Edition: $44,000
- Premium Edition: $50,000
To be able to charge almost 100 kWh battery quicker, the Ford Mach E features 42 amps charging which is faster than the standard 32 amps. The Mustang electric SUV will have 150 kWh of maximum charging rate which will increase to 47 miles of range every 10 minutes.
If you plan to charge your electric Mustang at home, then a Level 2 charger will completely fill up the battery in about 8 hours.
Commenting on the performance of the Ford Mustang Mach E, Jason said: “Not only this vehicle looks the part but drives the part“. He confirmed that the engineering team which works on the driving characteristics of the original Mustang worked on the Mach E as well.
Other highlighting features of this Mustang include a fairly large boot with 29 cubic feet or 402 liters of space and a fully drainable front trunk or frunk with an additional 100 liters of luggage space.
Mustang Mach E has no door handles, the car opens by connecting to your Bluetooth and automatically opening the door to about 4 inches when you approach the car. There’s also a physical button on the B-pillar which can be used to open the door.
Ford has also inbuilt a fail-safe in case you lose your mobile and are unable to access your car. On the B-pillar is a keypad which can be used to enter a secret four-digit code to open the car’s door. The code can be used again to drive the car as well.
In terms of interior design, Ford has incorporated a mix of buttons and touchscreens. The steering has several buttons on it and there’s also a dial on the center console below the touch screen.
Speaking of screens there are two, one in the center and another in front of the driver. The gear selection is through a dial and the car has enough room to seat five full-sized adults.
According to Jason, Ford has utilized the additional space, courtesy of the flat floor design, of the Mach E very generously.
Also, to keep up with the times, Ford will provide Over The Air updates from time to time to improve several features of the car. Jason also confirmed that the learnings from this vehicle will be utilized across the entire Ford portfolio.
At the moment, Ford is accepting online bookings for its Mustang electric SUV via its official website only. Delivery for the First and Premium edition will begin in late 2020 while the $50,000 select variant will launch in early 2021.
Ford Mach E: Can It Compete Against Tesla Model 3 And Model Y?
One advantage Ford has over the Tesla Model 3 and the Model Y is in the battery capacity department. Ford Mach E comes with a 99 kWh lithium-ion battery, which is as big as the battery pack found in Tesla Model S.
However, Tesla is able to produce more miles per kWh using its battery. The Tesla Model Y with Rear Wheel Drive costs around $48,000, which is almost in the same ballpark as the Ford Mach E Rear Wheel drive variant.
Chances of Ford Mach E eating into the sales of Model 3 are less because both belong to different segments and the Model 3 has a proven track record of being a reliable electric car while the Mach E isn’t even available in the market yet.
Tesla is known to improve its electric cars overtime with more horsepower and range. If Ford decides to do the same they can leverage the big 99 kWh battery and potentially offer a range more than both the Tesla EVs.
Mustang Mach E represents a big milestone for Ford and the automotive industry as well. If one of the most iconic of internal combustion engine vehicles can be successfully converted to an electric car, then what the world thinks of electric vehicles will change.
Earlier electric vehicles were produced only so the companies could meet their collective carbon emission standards. With the coming of players like Tesla, Jaguar, Audi, VW and now Ford, that is no longer the case.
