The Mustang Mach-E Will Lead Ford’s Electric Charge
Ford revealed the Mustang Mach-E crossover utility vehicle to a lot of excitement. It’s getting a lot of attention from all kinds of media. There are people who love it, people who don’t, and folks everywhere in between. No matter what you think of the Mustang Mach-E, one thing is for sure, it foreshadows what is to come from the Blue Oval.
Ford Motor Company has been pumping money into its electric car research and development for a while now. The company plans to invest about $11 billion in electrified vehicle technology by 2022, according to Reuters. That may sound like a huge number, but when you consider that every automaker in the industry will be vying for a piece of the electric automotive pie, the $11 billion makes a lot of sense.
While Ford has had several hybrids in its lineup over the last several years, the Mustang Mach-E is its first major step towards a seriously electrified future. The Mustang name is famous enough to be a standalone brand by itself. To attach it to a model is a move that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Judging by the vehicle’s specs, it’s not a move that Ford did without really making sure the vehicle could deliver.
What Is the Ford Mustang Mach-E?
On its most basic level, the Ford Mustang Mach-E is an all-electric crossover utility vehicle. It promises the exciting performance that people have come to expect of the Mustang but in a crossover that has an electric powertrain.
The vehicle is the company’s first long-range electric car, and the only other vehicle to wear the Mustang name other than the two-door coupe in the company’s history. The name will excite some and anger others, but one thing’s for sure, it will get them talking.
The vehicle comes in five different trim levels that all offer slightly different takes on the design with different range and performance specifications. The least of which can make 0-60 mph in about six seconds and a range of 230 miles. The highest performance version of the car is the Mach-E GT, which can do 0-60 mph in about three and a half seconds. The highest range of any of the Mustang Mach-Es is about 300 miles.
The vehicle either comes with a 75.7 kWh lithium-ion battery (288 lithium-ion cells) or a 98.8 kWh lithium-ion battery (376 lithium-ion cells). The batteries can be charged with a regular outlet. With the Ford Connected Charging station, owners can add 32 miles of charge per hour on a 240-volt outlet. Without the Ford Connected Charging station, you’ll get 22 miles per hour of charging. Plug the vehicle into a DC fast-charging station and you can go from 10 to 80 percent charge in only 38 minutes.
The Ford Mustang Mach-E is right on par with the competition and better than it in some respects, this should help the vehicle to sell well.
Where It Fits in the Market
In terms of the market, the Mustang Mach-E will go up against vehicles like the Tesla Model 3 and the Chevrolet Bolt. While those aren’t crossovers, they demand significant clout in the automotive industry on the electric side of the market, so you can bet that people will be cross-shopping these models.
The Mustang Mach-E is really a choice for anyone looking for an electric car. This puts it up against anything that falls into the same price point, regardless of the vehicle type. With a starting price of $43,895 before tax credits, you can bet that people will be thinking twice about the Tesla Model 3, which starts under $40,000. Despite the Mustang being a little more, I’m betting the popularity of a crossover and the added utility of the vehicle type will hold some weight here.
It’s important to note that there are some other electric SUVS out there. However, they’re either way more expensive, like the Tesla Model X or the Jaguar I-Pace, or they don’t have the performance and range chops to keep up with the new Mach-E. Hyundai’s Kona EV comes to mind.
The Mustang Mach-E has hit a particular part of the market at a time when electric car sales are on the rise with a vehicle that’s genuinely interesting from multiple viewpoints. Pair that with the fact that you can get a high-performance version in the Mustang Mach-E GT that will do an approximate three-and-a-half 0-60 mph time for around $60,000, and you have a vehicle that should pique even more interest.
What Could It Do for Ford’s Sales?
According to the Edison Electric Institute, electric vehicle sales rose by more than 80 percent from 2017 to 2018. There were 1.18 million electric vehicles on the road. In my own reporting of monthly sales numbers for this publication, I’ve noticed that electric vehicle sales, and even hybrid and plug-in hybrid sales have continued to rise, even in segments that are struggling.
Ford may have hit the market at the right time with this vehicle. However, it’s important to note that in the first quarter of 2019, electric cars still only made up for less than two percent of all new car sales in the U.S. That’s not much, but the market is clearly growing and quickly, too.
If the market sees another 80 percent gain from 2018 to 2019, there will probably be somewhere over half a million electric vehicles sold in 2020. By 2021, when the Mustang Mach-E comes out, that number could be somewhere around 800,000 to 1 million. All this bodes well for Ford’s new Mustang.
While it will face new competition and various unforeseen challenges, I see no reason why it couldn’t outsell electric vehicles like the Tesla Model S and Model X. It could even outsell the Model 3. We’re talking somewhere around 5,000 sales each month—or possibly way more—once the vehicles begin moving off lots. From there, the sky is the limit.
Of course, this is just my speculation. This is what I see the Mustang Mach-E being able to do. However, it has to be good to drive, practical, and generally a good vehicle all around to get the kinds of sales I expect Ford would like to see. Ford can’t rely on the Mustang name for everything. The vehicle still has to be good in order for it to be a sales success.
If Ford can kick off sales well with the Mustang Mach-E, it will bode well for all of the company’s future electric cars. According to Reuters, the company plans 40 electrified vehicles by 2022, 16 of which will be fully electric, so there’s a lot riding on the Mach-E, you wouldn’t be out of line to say that Ford’s future is resting on the crossovers sporty looking shoulders. So, even if you’re not in love with the idea of an electric crossover Mustang, if you have any affinity at all for Ford, you’d better hope the Mach-E is a hit.
