Ford Mustang Mach-E Debuts With 300-Mile Range, Four Doors, Fast Looks

Ford Mustang Mach-E Debuts With 300-Mile Range, Four Doors, Fast Looks

The Ford Mustang has a historic lineage that spans multiple decades, features hundreds of variations, and amounts to more than 10 million models sold. In the world of muscle cars, it is one of the most successful vehicles to ever do it. But with the future looming, the iconic Pony Car needs to take a dramatic new approach. The Ford Mustang Mach-E is both the first production-bound electric Mustang and the first Mustang crossover. It arrives as a vital stepping stone in Ford's push toward an electrified future, blending capability, performance, and efficiency into a single battery-powered package. So let鈥檚 get into the nitty gritty. The Ford Mustang Mach-E comes with two lithium-ion battery pack options: standard range and extended range. The standard-range version uses a 75.7-kilowatt-hour, 288-cell pack, sending power to a large rear motor, while the extended-range option uses a larger 98.8-kilowatt-hour battery pack with 376 cells, sending power to both a motor at the front axle and rear.

All that electricity gives the Mustang Mach-E a maximum range of up to 300 miles per charge on certain trim levels when equipped with the optional extended-range battery pack and rear-drive layout. All-wheel-drive models with the same extended-range batteries will see their range drop to 270 miles. The standard-range model with the smaller battery pack and rear-wheel-drive can cover 230 miles, while the same battery pack driving all four wheels drops that figure to 210 miles. The only outlier is the Mach-E GT Performance. While the Mach-E GT Performance gets the same extended-range battery-pack and all-wheel-drive layout as the First Edition and Premium models, its performance-oriented approach means its total range drops to 250 miles. The Mustang Mach-E does come in a few different flavors. But consumers can only choose from two options beginning in 2020: Premium and First Edition. The First Edition model comes with the extended range battery pack and all-wheel drive standard, as well as unique visual treatments like red brake calipers, metallic pedal covers, and unique badging.

But those hoping to get the least expensive Mach-E will have to wait until 2021, when the base Mach-E Select arrives. That more affordable model offers a standard-range battery pack and either rear or all-wheel drive. The more-powerful California Route 1 model, which comes exclusively with extended range and all-wheel drive, won鈥檛 be available until early 2021 as well. The Mach-E鈥檚 range figures are extremely competitive for the class. Not even top-end versions of cars like the Kia Niro EV (239 miles), Jaguar I-Pace (234 miles), or Audi E-Tron (204 miles) offer as much range. The Tesla Model Y, though not in production yet, comes the closest with an identical 300 miles of range on the top end. Ford guarantees its customers access to 75 percent of all charging stations in the U.S. Though, it鈥檚 not proprietary like Tesla鈥檚 supercharger network, as Ford contracts out to companies like Chargepoint and EVGo.

With the purchase of the Mach-E, buyers get access to said massive charging network using FordPass Charging Network, with the ability to recharge up to 47 miles in just 10 minutes with a maximum 150-kilowatt DC fast charging rate. Of course, Ford also offers a few home solutions, as well. A Ford Mobile Charger comes standard with the purchase of any Mach-E. Plugged into a typical 120-volt outlet, the home charger will trickle out an estimated range of about three miles each hour. Plugging the same Ford Mobile Charger into a more-powerful 240-volt outlet yields up to 22 miles of range each hour. Ford says that this application will charge up to 80 percent of the Mach-E鈥檚 pack overnight and makes the most sense for consumers. But those buyers really wanting to take their charging game to the next level can purchase the optional Ford Connected Charge Station. Plugged into a 240-volt outlet, the higher-powered, 48-amp option adds approximately 32 miles of range each hour to the Mach-E.