Ford Mustang Mach-E - opposites attract

Ford's first fully electric model went on sale at the beginning of 2021. With the Mustang Mach-E, Ford is trying to combine fire and water: the Mustang legend with zero-emission drive and a raised SUV body. Can such a daring stunt succeed? The sales figures show that the risk was worth taking.

For some, the heart says the best days are gone: big, multi-cylinder, fuel-guzzling petrol engines whose sound could wake up a whole neighbourhood. But reason says that a new standard now applies: zero emissions. Ford says that the Mustang Mach-E offers customers looking for an electric car freedom and performance, drawing on the heritage of the iconic sports car that is the best-selling in the world.

Drive, driving modes and batteries

The first SUV in the Mustang family is offered with a choice of one motor and rear-wheel drive or two motors and all-wheel drive. The latter set-up delivers 0-100 km/h acceleration in just 3.7 seconds.

Like other electric cars, the Mustang Mach-E offers three driving modes. It gives them quite different names, however. At Ford they are Whisper, Engage and Unbridled. It is easy to guess that behind these emotionally charged names lie the eco, normal and sport functions.

The car can be fitted with a standard lithium-ion battery with 288 cells, providing 75 kWh of usable capacity, or with an extended-range battery with a usable capacity of 98 kWh. The all-wheel-drive Mustang Mach-E has a maximum output of 269 hp with the standard battery and 351 hp with the larger battery. The battery is placed centrally between the axles under the floor, which gives a low centre of gravity and serves the Mustang's sporty dynamics well.

Battery power is sent to a new oil-cooled AC motor mounted at the rear, which drives the rear wheels, and to an additional front-mounted motor in models equipped with 4x4 drive. An active liquid heating and cooling system regulates the battery's operating temperature. This is particularly useful when charging, as it can shorten the charging time. It can also help to optimise the battery's operating conditions when driving at high speed.

Suspension, interior and the frunk

Driving in the United States differs significantly from driving in Europe, where there are more narrow, winding roads and higher speed limits apply. That is why the characteristics of the dampers, springs, anti-roll bars, steering and drivetrain were changed to meet the expectations of drivers on the Old Continent. This suspension tuning allows the heavy car (the Mach-E AWD weighs 2182 kg) to be handled efficiently.

The Mach-E has electronic push-button door handles. Worth noting is the 'Phone as a Key' function, which recognises the owner's smartphone and allows data to be entered using the phone's keypad, without the need for a remote or a mechanical key. There is also a keypad on the window frame of the driver's door. Inside the car, the eye is drawn to a large (15.5-inch) touchscreen tablet placed centrally. Not everyone will like the narrow, elongated rectangular screen directly in front of the driver, however. Its small size goes hand in hand with limited personalisation options: you choose between a light and a dark mode.

On the drive selector knob there is an 'L' button that increases the level of regeneration. It sits on the centre tunnel and is very easy to reach from the high-set driver's seat. For drivers who prefer a sporty (low) driving position, however, the high seat typical of an SUV or crossover will take some getting used to.

It is commendable that the engineers managed to design a front boot under the bonnet, the so-called "frunk". It can hold two charging cables, the one for plugging into an ordinary socket being 6.7 m long.

Mach-E sales in Poland and worldwide

The Ford Mustang Mach-E is currently offered in 37 countries, whereas at its debut only 22 markets could offer the car. The next markets where the electric Mustang will appear are New Zealand, Brazil and Argentina.

In Poland the most popular Ford Mustang Mach-E models are those with all-wheel drive and the 98 kWh extended-range battery. In second place is the rear-wheel-drive version with the standard 75 kWh battery. The GT version also accounted for a significant share of sales.