Ford Had Certainly Been Successful At Creating A Buzz Around The Launch Of Its All-Electric Battery-Powered SUV. But Will The ‘New Horse’ Have The Prowess To Catch Up With Rivals Like Tesla And Volkswagen. Only Time Will Tell!
Michigan based, Ford Motor Company, the US automotive manufacturer, stepped firmly into the fast evolving electric vehicle race with the unveiling of its ‘new breed of Mustang’, the all-electric Mustang Mach-e sport utility vehicle (SUV), ahead of the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show.
Though Ford had commenced work on an electric vehicle model a few years ago, CEO James Hackett ‘pulled the plug’ and sent everyone back to the drawing board. Early indications suggest that the strategy to start afresh on creating a more compelling plug-in electric vehicle (EV) may have worked for Ford.
Ford is hoping to leverage the iconic status of the ‘Mustang’ marque to make up for its late entry into the battery electric vehicle (BEV) sector. Competitors from both, the traditional automotive sector and new entrants are already well ahead in the race. Munich based Volkswagen Group and California based Tesla Inc, are two such examples well on their way to market domination in the zero-emission race.
Success of the stylish eco-friendly battery-powered all-electric SUV is critical, given the poor performance and profit warnings at Ford. The EV aims to hit the sweet spot between performance, looks and pricing.
The all-electric SUV was launched to much pomp and show in LA on Sunday 17th November 2019. Determined to show its confidence, Ford chose an aircraft hangar close to the operations of SpaceX, another undertaking by the Tesla co-founder Elon Musk.
This is the first non-sports car to use the Mustang marque and will compete head-on with already established electric vehicles like the Tesla Model X and the Jaguar I-PACE. The Mustang Mach-e will also compete with the other EV models. The Mach-e will be manufactured at the Ford plant in Mexico and will be built on a brand-new EV architecture.
The Mustang Mach-e is part of the US$11.5 billion Ford investment into electrification by 2022. The company aims to become a leader in clean transportation and become carbon-neutral by 2030.
The ‘100% Electric. 100% Soul’ all-electric Mach-e comes in three variants (Mustang Mach-e, Mustang Mach-e AWD & Mustang Mach-e First Edition). The Mustang Mach-e First Edition priced from £58,080 has a full pre-order list. Deliveries for the other two variants are scheduled for early 2021.
The Mustang BEV starts from £40,350 for the Mustang Mach-e, the Mustang Mach-e AWD is priced at £46,650. The First Edition is being manufactured in limited volumes. All variants qualify for the UK government plug-in car grant (PiCG) incentive.
Both EVs have two EV battery options: Extended Range (ER) and Standard Range (SR). The ER has an installed battery capacity of 98.7 kWh while the SR is 75.7 kWh. The Mustang Mach-e has a range of 379 miles (ER) and 273 miles (SR). The Mustang Mach-e AWD has a zero-emission range of 335 (ER) and 248 miles (SR) (WLTP).
The Mustang Mach-e is rear-wheel drive (RWD) and can achieve 0-62 mph in 6.1 seconds (430 Nm peak torque). Mustang Mach-e AWD can achieve 0-62 mph in 5.1 seconds (580 Nm peak torque). The electric vehicle has dual-motors (front and rear axle) and permanent all-wheel drive. Top speed is 111 mph. The SUV can seat 5.
The EV is capable of both AC and DC charging with the FordPass Charging network included (150,000 charge points across Europe). Home charging can be done overnight via a dedicated charge point (AC) like Wallbox. DC charging networks such as IONITY can deliver 73 zero-emission electric miles in 10 minutes (150kW). A DC 50kW public charge point can charge the green car 10-80% in 90 minutes.
The Ford electric vehicle is equipped with a number of driver assistance features via the large 15.5 ” colour touchscreen on the dashboard. These include, intelligent parking technologies and advanced safety systems (360–degree camera). The pure electric SUV does not have tradition door handles, instead allowing access via an electronic pad and e-latch.
You can configure and pre-order the Mustang Mach-e on the Ford website. Recommended pre-order deposit £1,000. Estimated deliveries Spring 2021.
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