Ford Mustang Mach-E Officially Unveiled
Due for launch next year, the Mustang Mach-E will be offered as either a rear- or four-wheel drive car with a standard (75.7kWh) or long-range (98.8kWh) battery. The batteries themselves are comprised of 288 lithium-ion cells for the standard car and 376 for the extended range model, sited low in the car for the benefit of handling. Charging capacity is up to 150kW, meaning a DC fast charge station can add up to 57 miles of range in 10 minutes (depending on Mustang spec). Ford believes the majority of customers will charge at home; as such it will be offering a Connected Wallbox to Mach-E buyers. With five times the charge power of a conventional socket, it will add around 38 miles of range an hour. Beyond that, the connected nav will update charging locations, and drivers of the Mach-E will have access to the FordPass Charging Network and the Ionity group of fast chargers. There should be little range anxiety, put simply, given Ford鈥檚 effort with a charging infrastructure with the Mustang. You make your own jokes now about walking being the preferred option.
Back to the car. Ford reckons at its most efficient (2WD and extended range), the Mustang Mach-E will be capable of more than 370 miles on WLTP, which is certainly laudable. To harness that power, the Mustang Mach-E 4 will use an all-wheel drive system that independently applies torque to either axle, though there isn鈥檛 any mention yet of individual torque vectoring. Interestingly, too, the Mach-E will be available with a set of Brembo鈥檚 new 鈥楩lexira鈥?calipers, purported to offer the performance of a fixed caliper with the dimensions of a floating one. Magneride dampers are standard on the GT and presumably optional on other models. The Mach-E driver will interact with this technology via three drive modes: Whisper, Engage and Unbridled (yes, really). Each will alter the steering, augmented sound and lighting for 鈥渁 distinct sensory experience.鈥?They鈥檒l be doing that from an interior unlike anything we鈥檝e seen from a Mustang - or indeed from a Ford - at any point before. And breathe. For now at least, that鈥檚 about it for the Mach-E, though we can probably all agree that that鈥檚 a fair bit to take in. This is just the start, too, the Mustang one of 14 electrified Ford coming before 2020 is out. So best get used to this. It鈥檚 Thunderbird MPV after the Mach-E, right?
Despite offering all-wheel drive, the electric crossover鈥檚 low stance speaks more to performance-oriented all-wheel grip鈥攏ot boulder bashing. Ford didn鈥檛 say how long the Mustang Mach-E would take to charge on a Level 2 charger, which is common for home-charging. On a 150-kw fast-charger, the Mach-E will replenish 47 miles of range in 10 minutes, according to Ford. That should be enough range for most daily drives, although, like any other electric car, owners are likely to charge at home and rarely drain the Mach-E鈥檚 battery near empty. The first four-door Mustang seems like an afterthought at this point. The Mach-E promises to seat for at least four, in relative comfort. Have you seen the roofline? We haven鈥檛 yet been inside the Mach-E, so we鈥檒l reserve judgment on rear-seat head space. What we can see is a tall, tablet-style 15.5-inch touchscreen planted in the center of the dash. Ahead of the driver is a thin 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster and a low cowl that should help outward vision. Ford upholsters the Mach-E in cloth or synthetic leather upholstery and finishes; wood, brushed metal, and soft-touch surfaces across the dash. Behind the second row, the Mach-E holds 29 cubic feet of cargo, which expands to 59.6 cubic feet with the seats folded. The front trunk will hold about five cubic feet of cargo, about enough for two soft-sided, small duffel bags or backpacks. The Mustang Mach-E hasn鈥檛 yet been crash-tested, but all models offer Ford鈥檚 suite of active safety features including automatic emergency braking, active lane control, and adaptive cruise control. A surround-view camera system is standard on all models above base Reserve, and an automatic parking system and phone-as-a-key system is standard on those trims as well.
Ford is talking about some things that it is doing to push the upcoming EV that we expect to be called the Mach-E. Ford continues to refer to the coming EV as 鈥淢ustang-inspired.鈥?The EV is rumored to debut next month in LA. The official launch is expected next year as a 2021 model. Ford is trying to lure a new type of EV buyer to the Mach-E, one that is maybe more interested in performance than in being green. One significant feature of the Mach-E and any other EV is the instant torque that an electric motor delivers. Instant torque means better acceleration and a feeling of high-performance that many traditional gas-powered vehicles can鈥檛 match. One metric that Ford executive Darren Palmer is talking up for the Mach-E is something he calls 鈥淭ime to torque.鈥?Palmer is the head of global product development for Ford and Lincoln EVs. He says that the minute a driver accelerates in an EV in traffic, the response of the car is double or tripel what drivers have experienced before. He noted that to move forward the adoption of EVs with the average consumer, EVs need to be aspirational vehicles. Palmer says that while EVs are money losers for most manufacturers, the Mustang-inspired SUV will be profitable. Palmer notes that when you accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in six seconds, you feel it in your neck, do it in under five seconds, and you sense the acceleration in your ears. Do the deed in under four seconds, and Palmer says you feel it in your eyeballs. We hope that is a subtle hint that the Mach-E will rocket to 60 mph in under four seconds.
