Ford Unveils Electric Mustang Mach-E SUV; Elon Musk Tweets Congratulations

Ford Unveils Electric Mustang Mach-E SUV; Elon Musk Tweets Congratulations

FREMONT (CNN) 鈥?Ford unveiled its all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E crossover SUV on Sunday, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk sent out a congratulatory tweet following the announcement. 鈥淐ongratulations on the Mach E! Sustainable/electric cars are the future! Excited to see this announcement from Ford, as it will encourage other carmakers to go electric too,鈥?the CEO of the Bay Area-based electric car maker wrote on Twitter. Congratulations on the Mach E! Sustainable/electric cars are the future! Excited to see this announcement from Ford, as it will encourage other carmakers to go electric too. The new Mustang appears to be an attempt by Ford to take on Tesla, and it will directly compete with the upcoming Tesla Model Y SUV. 鈥淭hanks, Elon,鈥?Ford tweeted in response to Musk. 鈥淲e couldn鈥檛 agree more. See you at the charging station! The Mustang Mach-E GT Performance models will get an estimated 459 horsepower, Ford claims, from two electric motors, one powering the back wheels, the other powering the front. Those motors should be able to make the Mach-E go from zero to 60 miles an hour in roughly 3.5 seconds, a time similar to a Porsche 911 GTS.

The Tesla Model 3 Performance, meanwhile, produces 450 horsepower and the upcoming Model Y SUV is expected to share much of the same engineering. 7,500 federal tax credit, Ford executives said. They expect Mach-E buyers will be able to get that full tax credit for at least the first year it鈥檚 available. Ford expects Extended Range versions of the Mach-E with 332 horsepower to get an EPA-rated range of at least 300 miles. The standard range version will go about 239 miles, said Ted Cannis, Ford鈥檚 director of electrification. Prototype vehicles are still undergoing testing and refinement, he said. Even with the standard range battery pack, Cannis said, the Mach-E will accelerate more quickly than a Porsche Macan SUV. Two-wheel drive versions of the Mustang Mach-E will be rear-wheel drive, like the Mustang coupe it鈥檚 modeled after. Rear-wheel drive is considered ideal for a performance-oriented vehicle. Overall, the Mach-E will have the best driving dynamics of any SUV Ford has made yet, Cannis claimed. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a freaking rock star,鈥?he said. But is it truly a Mustang? Some Mustang fans have expressed dismay over the application of the Mustang name to an SUV.

But Ford executives insist Mach-E truly deserves the galloping pony logo. Since there鈥檚 no engine, electric vehicles don鈥檛 need a long hood, but the Mustang Mach-E has one. That鈥檚 a classic performance design cue, but it also helps maintain the Mustang family resemblance. It also has a black rooftop, no matter the paint color on the rest of the car, creating the illusion of a low sloping roofline. The taillights spread out horizontally to increase the perception of width and make the vehicle seem more planted and stable like a sports car. Unlike most electric cars, the Mach-E even makes a distinctly audible sound because, Ford designers explained, sound is an important part of the Mustang experience. The Mach-E doesn鈥檛 make a V8 burble, though. The artificially created sound, which can be heard both inside and outside the vehicle, varies to match the Mach-E鈥檚 acceleration and speed, like an actual engine sound would.

The Mach-E鈥檚 sound resembles an amplified electric motor whir, but with a hint of a rumble. The SUV will have three selectable driving modes: Whisper, Engaged and Unbridled. Things like the responsiveness of the steering wheel and accelerator pedal, as well the vehicle鈥檚 interior lighting, the graphic design of the gauges and the volume of the motor sound will change based on the mode selected. The Mustang Mach-E also has an enormous central touch screen, similar to the screens in a Tesla. Unlike other touch screens, though, the Mach-E has a volume knob mounted on the screen. That was one thing which people really preferred a knob for, Ford designers found. The Mach-E doesn鈥檛 have traditional door handles or, for that matter, any door handles at all in the back. The doors are unlatched using electronic buttons. The front doors also have tiny black winglike projections to provide finger holds to pull the door open. Like Teslas, the Mach-E will also be able to receive over-the-air software updates to improve things like performance and entertainment options. One feature that will be added later using an over-the-air software update is the ability for hands-free driving on the highway, Ford executives said.

That will be similar to General Motors鈥?Cadillac Super Cruise system and Tesla鈥檚 Navigate on Autopilot. Executives did not say when that would be available. Ford recently announced the creation of a large network of electric vehicle charging stations across the US that can be accessed using a smart phone app. The network was created by allowing different charger networks to accept payment directly through the Ford app. When completed, Ford said, the charger network will have over 12,000 charging stations. The Mach-E, which will be built in Mexico, will be available next fall, Ford said. 500 deposit immediately, though. Tesla already has an all-electric SUV in the luxury Model X, but Musk has already admitted that it is of minor importance and does not have a huge impact on the company鈥檚 bottom line. The more affordable Model Y, on the other hand, has the potential to be a game-changer for Tesla with the popularity of crossover SUVs. With production on the Model Y slated to begin in the summer of 2020, Tesla may have a small head start on Ford, as the Mustang Mach-E is expected to be available next fall. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten. CNN contributed to this report.