I see the stampede of EVs
You might be surprised when you drive an electric vehicle
September 8, 2021
The friendly delivery folks showed me how to open the door. There isn’t a traditional handle on the Ford Mustang Mach-E, just a small button to push and a winged pull handle. The delivery team didn’t know a lot about this electric car, but at least now I knew how to get into it. It was a good start. I was ready for my loaner week. Ford had decided to let me experience its foray into the accelerating electric vehicle (EV) market.
(Credit: Ford Motor Company)
This is a good looking car. The form of the crossover has been around for a while. The Ford designers have refined it. I got a lot of looks on the road as drivers passing by tried to figure out what kind of car this was. At a stop sign I could see the driver of a gas-powered Mustang Mach-1 in front of me, entranced by the pony emblem on the front of the Mach-E.
In a Costco parking lot, I parked nose to nose with a Tesla, whose owner wanted to know everything about the Mach-E. He sat in the driver’s seat. Hit the start button and commented on the big screen that came to life. He liked it- a lot.
While this is not the full-throated Mustang you hear on the streets, its electric motors can easily push your kidneys back into the lumbar supports in the seat. The torque is delivered quickly. I was even able to get a bit of wheel spin climbing some twisty turns.
(Credit: Ford Motor Company)
There are three driving modes. Whisper is the quiet, comfortable, cruising setting. Engage is the middle of the road. Unbridled (finally a pony reference) is the sport mode. When in unbridled, the steering tightens. Take your foot off the accelerator and feel the car slow, a simulation of the compression of an internal combustion engine. There is even a propulsion sound option. It doesn’t make that loud, guttural Mustang sound, but it adds a bit of sensory fun. The app keeps you up to date on the status of the vehicle.
One of my favorite options is one pedal driving. This is for stop and go traffic. It is nearly worth the price of admission for a Mach-E. In this mode, while crawling in traffic, just let off the accelerator and the car slows to a stop. Let off just a bit and the slowing action is less dramatic. Until we get to fully automated cars, this could change your life in traffic.
There is a lot to learn about charging these EVs as the electric infrastructure is being built. This is just the start. Many more EVs are coming from GM, Volkswagen, and the Asian auto producers.
My Mach-E journey started when I told Dan Barbossa of the Ford communications team that while this car is attractive, it is not what I think of as a Mustang. Dan defended the branding of the Mach-E. The marketing folks apparently won the battle inside Ford on what to call this all-electric vehicle. But let’s face it, this is a crossover. It’s not a sporty sedan like those I grew up with. The model I drove was priced at about $56,000. The entry-level model runs $44,000.
In its marketing push, Ford says the new pony car is, “joining the stable,” and is, “sharing the iconic Mach name (a version of the gas powered Mustang).” But then, Ford makes an admission as it highlights an accolade for this car; “The 2021 North American Utility Vehicle of the year.” There you go. It’s a UTE (utility vehicle).
It was another award for the Ford EV that prompted my time with the Mach-E. It was named the first ever “EV of the Year” by Car and Driver magazine. The magazine said the Mach-E proves, “EVs can be as rewarding to drive as their gas counterparts. The Mach-E strikes a sweet balance between practical and visceral.”
I would agree. Ford has proven it can build a really good EV. That bodes well for the company as the move to electric cars grows. But in my mind, the Mach-E is not a Mustang.