The Mustang Mach E was Ford’s first built from the ground up, full electric car. It’s shortly being joined by the new electric Explorer. Before you consider this new Ford, CC&V spent a week with the Mach-E to reappraise a car we first drove back in 2021.
What is it ?
It’s easiest to describe the Mach-E as an electric Sportback, as opposed to a straight SUV, which is the moniker Ford have given it. What you actually get is a very spacious five door car, that’s reasonably priced & that’s just a little bit different.
Model choice
Choose from Select, Premium or GT. Select is the entry level model & is only offered with the smaller 78kWh battery. Premium is available in AWD & RWD & comes with the 98kWh battery. Range topping GT is only AWD & it too is fitted with the 98kWh battery.
Power & performance
Two batteries but four power outputs. The 78kWh battery offered in RWD & Select spec, comes with 268PS. Next you have the Premium RWD with 294PS, Premium AWD with 370PS & AWD GT with 478PS. Select & Premium have a 0-62mph time of 6.3 seconds. The GT an electrifying time of just 3.6 seconds.
Exterior looks
There’s no mistaking the Mach-E. It really stands out in a crowd & looks like a Focus hatchback on steroids. The front of the Mach-E features the iconic Mustang logo inside a closed grille, with chrome headlights on each front top corner. At the side, the windows taper towards the back, with the rear hatch mimicking the real Mustang with triple vertical lights on either edge.
Inside
Rather than pulling a door handle, you open the doors by pressing a button located on the door pillar Once sat behind the wheel, you’ll notice a Mustang emblem, this time on the steering wheel. The dashboard is dominated by the frankly massive 15.5” tabloid touchscreen, that gives Tesla & BYD a run for their money. From this, you get access to the cars infotainment & climate controls.
Elsewhere, the fixtures & fittings are a touch above what you’ll find in the average Ford. Gears are selected using a dial which sits between the front seats. Steering wheel controls allow short cuts to media volume, as well as to the cars adaptive cruise control.
The finishes are of mainly good quality, with the black perforated full Sensico trim in black with red stitching, finishing things off nicely across the doors, dash front & seats
Infotainment
The good news is that Fords tech team have set the touchscreen up so that some functions including the climate controls, remain visible all of the time, meaning that you don’t have to scroll through endless menus to get where you want to go. We found it intuitive & logical to work with. For example there’s a couple of handy icons located on the top right of the screen, one of which is Home so gets you back to a full menu choice.
The other one with a two dot dice image, allows you to get straight into the driving modes page, where you can select or de-select one-pedal drive, add or remove the propulsion sound & switch between the three driving modes.
Battery range & charging
Select the Premium version with the 78kWh battery for a 292 mile range, the 98kWh Premium Extended Range RWD model that we were testing with a 372 mile range, or GT for a 320 mile driving range. Opt for 4WD & you’ll you forfeit around 10 – 25 miles of range. Charging the 67kWh battery on a home charger will take approximately 10 hours from 0-100%, on the 98kWh version, around 12 hours. We recommend Rolec; http://www.rolecserv.com/home-charging
Both battery versions will charge up to 150kW.
Prices & BIK
These range from £50,750 to £74,460. As a company car driver you’ll be leasing your Mach-E & will be pleased to know that BIK runs from £17 – £24 per month as a 20% tax payer & from £34 – 50 per month if you’re a 40% tax payer.
Equipment
All models get keyless entry, adaptive cruise control, privacy glass, a wireless charging pad, heated front seats, heated steering wheel, a rear view camera & dual-zone climate control. Plus the 15.5″ Central Touchscreen with SYNC4A, Wireless Car Play & Android Auto, 6 speaker audio system, DAB Radio, 2 front & 2 rear USB ports, FordPass Connect, Connected Nav, Emergency Assistance & a 10.2″ Digital Instrument Cluster.
Premium adds 19″ alloys with red brake callipers, 8-Way Power driver & front passenger seats, with lumbar support. GT a panoramic sun roof, a Bang & Olufsen audio system, MagneRide Adaptive Suspension & 20 alloys with Brembo brakes.
Safety
All versions feature Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & go & Lane Centring, Front & Rear Parking Sensors, BLIS with Cross Traffic, Lane Keeping Aid & Lane Departure Warning. You also get Pre Collision Assist including, Collision Mitigation, Forward Collision Warning, Dynamic Brake Support, Automated emergency Braking, Distance Alert/Distance Indication & Evasive Steer Assist.
Driving modes
Ford have had some fun with these as the three driving modes are named Whisper, Active & Untamed. Eco, Normal & Sport in other words. And each adjusts the feel of the car as you’d expect. Less power, more power, even more power with throttle response & even cabin lighting adjusted accordingly.
With a One Pedal driving feature, brake regeneration is fairly basic, but very effective. You just turn this on or off as required. When it’s on, the deceleration is strong enough to allow the driving to be undertaken almost completely brake free, just by taking your foot off the e-accelerator pedal. It’s actually very good & definitely does add a few extra miles to that all important battery range. On the downside, it’s quite heavy underfoot & after any journey over 30 minutes with it selected your right foot will start to feel weary.
Passenger comfort & load space
The cabin is both spacious & airy & five adults could get comfortable if required. Cabin storage includes twin front cup holders, a good sized glove box, narrowish door pockets & an under armrest cubby. The boot offers 402 litres of storage plus a useful under floor area, with a drain plug, so like the Megabox in the Ford Puma, you can store muddy stuff & then rinse it out. Fold the rear seats down & you’ll increase the boot space to 1420 litres. And up front, there’s 81 litres located under the bonnet lid, a space perfect for stowing away your charging cables.
Driving
We were testing the Premium RWD Extended version, which showed it’s class both in a straight line, as well as on the motorway. There’s a massive 675 Nm’s of torque on offer, so this version flies from 0-62mph in just 6.3 seconds. Top speed is 111mph.
The single electric gear takes the thinking out your drive by allowing you to sit back, relax & let the car take the strain. Motorway cruising is a highlight & in town its a quiet companion, shifting silently from traffic light to traffic light. On a longish 100 mile motorway trip it didn’t skip a beat with the on board adaptive cruise control selected via the steering wheel toggles, one of the easiest to engage that we’ve come across. At motorway speeds some road noise does enter the cabin courtesy of the 19″ alloys .
Over uneven surfaces it’s a little more uncomfortable, with the battery weight & suspension causing the car to crash & bounce around a bit. The steering is light & much more responsive than in similar sized EV’s, although it does have a tendency to understeer. A push across our local B roads saw the Mach-E hugging the road like glue & putting a wide smile on my face as I traversed the ‘ Tatton Mile.’ It shines when pushed & the road imperfections simply melt away in the fun being offered.
Real world range
As with all electric vehicles, the range you’ll get depends on how you drive your Mach E & how cold it is outside. Select Untamed, go for it & drive faster on the motorway & the range will drop significantly. Drive sensibly, mostly in Whisper & you’ll see that range increase considerably. It’s really up to you. What the Mach E does offer though is plenty of power with both battery options, but not too much like some other electric cars. You’ll certainly get north of 220 miles with the Standard Range version & 270 miles with the Extended Range model. If you utilise the brake regeneration, perhaps you could add another 20-30 miles on top.
Pros
The Mach E is no shrinking violet & if you want to be noticed, then driving one will certainly tick that box. Low BIK makes for happy company car motoring. The on-board info & safety tech is top notch. The interior finishes & colour ways have improved since it was first launched. It’s practical too & we love the ‘frunk.’
Cons
Opt for an Extended Range AWD version & it starts to get expensive. Ford’s suspension can’t mask the Mach E’s weight & it’s noticeably hard riding over poor road surfaces.
Conclusion
Ford’s first all-electric car was a welcome addition to the sector. Compared to many competitors, the entry level version is reasonably priced. The on-board tech & touchscreen are excellent, it comes with a five-adult interior, features some nice design touches & looks different as well. Despite the so so ride, we think it offers company car drivers one of the better electric cars at the 50K price point & would be a car we’d be happy to drive every day…. at least until we try the new Explorer anyway !
Electric family motoring with a bit of fun thrown in 4.25/5
