Ford proves a point- But is it a Mustang?
A Stampede of Electric Vehicles is coming
September 5, 2010
This is the decade that the electric vehicle (EV) is taking off. Elon Musk’s Tesla car company is making thousands of vehicles, profit, and many converts to electron-fueled driving. There is a coming avalanche of more vehicles and companies in the growing market. One of the latest to hit the new car lot is the Ford Mustang Mach-E.
This story begins for me a year and a half ago. The team I was working with went to the Washington DC Auto Show. We wanted to see the new products automakers plan to bring to market. The show was stolen by Ford and the glowing blue display of its entry into the all-electric surge; the Mustang Mach-E. That display touched some childhood memories, some spirited banter with Dan Barbossa, and a week of learning and enjoyment.
Ford display at Washington Auto Show 2020. (Credit: macheforum.com)
Who is Dan Barbossa you ask? On a near-daily basis, journalists work with public relations experts who are representing a company or a cause. Relationships can be professional, strained, and sometimes downright friendly. Dan Barbossa works in the communications department at the Ford Motor Company. I am a car guy. Dan and I hit it off on a couple of stories he pitched to us. We explored winter driving, how Ford ensures a vehicle can withstand a harsh winter, and the company’s idea that adaptive cruise control can help with traffic jams.
So, there I am at the auto show looking at this blue display of Ford’s new Mustang. As a Southern California boy, the Mustang (take a look at its profile) is ingrained in my upbringing. There are many late teenage experiences in Mustangs around the sunny shores of the Pacific Ocean and the orange groves.
(Credit: Classic Cars Backgrounds)
Having viewed the new Mustang at the auto show (take a look at its profile) I decided to send a text to Dan. I tell him, “great looking car, but it is NOT a mustang.” We ended up chatting on the phone. A spirited back and forth ended with us deciding to agree to disagree. Dan does know how to represent his company.
(Credit: Ford)
I thought that as the end of story until a couple months ago. The new edition of Car and Driver magazine arrived and it was an entire issue on EV’s. I am flipping through and come to the “EV of the year” and it is: The Ford Mustang Mach-1. Another text to Dan, “Congratulations, but it’s NOT a Mustang.” Dan’s response was to set me up with a loaner car for me for a week.
In the first five years of this decade, electric car sales are expected to quadruple from 3.1 million to 14 million vehicles a year, according to a Bloomberg report. China and Europe are leading the surge, which is being helped by falling battery prices and increased charging infrastructure.
While personal EV sales are increasing, it is other sectors which are moving much faster. Electric bus sales now capture nearly 40% of the market. Sales of commercial EV’s are expected to grow faster than personal cars.
Charging the Ford Mustang Mach-E.
This doesn’t mean we will be all-electric anytime soon. By 2025, only 16% of global sales will be EV’s, less than two out of ten. Internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle sales will actually continue to grow for another six years, until 2027, according to Bloomberg. Those vehicles will be around for 12-15 years. So, plenty of gas will be pumped through the 2030’s.
But, the market for EV’s is moving from a canter to a gallop. What did I think of Ford’s entry into full electric vehicles? That’s Part 2.