Ford’s extraordinarily normal all-electric SUV apes Tesla for market position

Inspired by the Ford Mustang, states Ford Motor Company, the Mach E will be its ultimate Marmite machine, highlights Iain Robertson, to be lauded equally as a new Ford model for today, as much as it will be ridiculed for being a virtual Tesla rip-off.

Most car companies love the prospect of harbouring an icon in their midst. For Ford that model is undoubtedly Mustang, revered for its star turn in the Steve McQueen movie ‘Bullitt’ but also beloved in both classic original and its more modern iterations. The car that started the Pony Car, ‘Coke bottle profile’, US sporting coupe sector was always a car of its time, which makes its latest development as vitally contemporary as Mustang ever could be, being both SUV and fully electrified.



Known as Mach-E, it is important for the company’s timeline, as its first plug-in EV. In fact, it is the first of 14 new EVs due from the company before the end of 2020. Powering all four wheels is a choice of either 75.7kWh (288 cells), or 98.8kWh (376 cells) Lithium-ion battery packs. This is the equivalent of up to 455bhp and an equally impressive 613lbs ft of torque, which could be described fairly as traditional Ford ‘muscle car’ outputs…with the notable difference of emitting very little noise at all, for a total range of up to 370 miles (WLTP figures).



With three delivery modes (Whisper, Engage, or Unbridled) for the driver to tap into, progress will range from stately to wild, with an accompanying (if desired) soundtrack, and a capability of cracking the 0-60mph blast in a cool 4.4s, topping out in excess of 150mph. Fortunately, Brembo’s finest brakes, featuring an all-new Flexira aluminium calliper system, control the speed and, with energy recovery, assist in replenishing the battery pack of the 2.2-tonne SUV. Naturally, the Mustang Mach-E can be recharged domestically, or at almost any public recharging system, using the supplied cables, with supercharging taking around 38 minutes for a 0-80% charge.



Its spacious cabin can accommodate up to five adults comfortably, with their personal belongings placed in either the front boot, or through the hatchback (402-litres), which can be expanded by folding forwards the rear seat backs to create a 1,420-litres load area. The dashboard will offer Tesla familiar hardware, thanks to an enormous touchscreen in the centre, with a smaller read-out block for immediate information placed just behind the low-set steering wheel. A Bang & Olufsen hi-fi system is installed, while a full-length glass sunroof that provides protection from both infra-red and ultra-violet rays creates an airy cabin environment.



Access and start-up are provided using a mobile-phone app, with back-up means, should the mobile unit’s battery die; fortunately, it can be recharged using the pad in the centre console. Featuring the most up-to-date connectivity that is also upgradable, is not dissimilar to the Tesla offering. While the Mach-E does possess a few Mustang styling cues, remove the badges and you could be looking at and driving a new Tesla, which will provide either a genuine comfort zone for some owners, or bemusement for others.

MSG Summary

Ford will announce prices and final specifications nearer to the UK launch in 2020 and the fact that it is a Ford and notionally a Mustang will do its future prospects no harm at all.

Join the Priority Club

Whether it’s your weekly grocery shop, reducing your utility bills or looking for a weekend take-away delivered to your door, Priority Club has a deal to save you money!