Preview: 2019 Mustang Mach-E

Preview: 2019 Mustang Mach-E

Ford unveiled its first mass-market electric vehicle at an event in Los Angeles right before the LA Auto Show. The Mach-E - a play on the old Mach 1 - is an electric SUV based on their iconic Mustang sports car. How it looks: Like a high-riding Mustang without the usual grille. What sets it apart: This is Ford鈥檚 first mass-market all-electric vehicle. Why we鈥檙e eager to drive it: Ford says it can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in less than 4 second in the top-of-the-line GT trim. What it competes with: Tesla鈥檚 upcoming Model Y SUV is the most direct competitor. Other electric SUVs are either less expensive but not as sporty (Hyundai Kona EV, Kia Niro EV) or much more expensive (Jaguar I-Pace,Tesla Model X, Audi E-Tron). You鈥檒l hear the term 鈥淢ustang-inspired鈥?a lot when people describe the Mach-E, from its headlights and tail lights to the galloping pony painted onto the front of the plastic panel where the typical grille would be. Ford gave it a smooth look to improve aerodynamics and emphasize the fact that this isn鈥檛 an internal combustion car that needs a lot of vents and intakes. Even the door handles are hidden.

This SUV certainly stands taller than its Mustang brethren, though it looks like the height has mostly been added below the wheel arches; the windows and roof have the tapered look of a sports car. The highlight of the interior is the huge, vertically oriented screen (15.5 inches) in the center of the dashboard. Ford likely will get tired of hearing this, but it鈥檚 a design straight out of the Tesla playbook. There鈥檚 a second 10.2-inch screen serving as a gauge cluster above the steering wheel. Ford says the Mach-E will get the most updated version of the automaker鈥檚 Sync infotainment system, and uses Bang those stations will provide 32 miles of range for each hour of charging, Ford says.

By comparison, using a typical household outlet adds 3 miles of range per hour, and a 240-volt outlet (like what you might use for an electric oven) adds 22 miles of ranger per hour. Buyers will have access to Ford鈥檚 charging network, which the automaker says will have more than 12,500 stations with more than 35,000 charge plugs nationwide. The automaker also says that, working with Electrify America, buyers will have access to DC fast chargers, which will be able to recharge a Mach-E up to 80 percent in just an hour. That, however, would be optimal performance; there are conditions that have been known to slow down the charging speed for EVs. Ford will offer EV buyers a FordPass app that will let customers set charging schedules and alerts and pre-condition their vehicles before they drive. There鈥檚 an unusual twist to the Mach-E: Because of how the batteries are located in the vehicle, there鈥檚 drainable cargo space in the front of the vehicle as well as a trunk in the back. The rear trunk has nearly 30 cubic feet of storage space, and with the second row of seats down, there鈥檚 just short of 60 cubic feet of space available. Once we鈥檙e able to see the new Mach-E on the floor of the L.A. Auto Show, we鈥檒l update this post with additional details.

Profitability. 鈥淚f we鈥檙e losing money on them, you can鈥檛 give as many to customers as you want,鈥?puts Palmer. No alphanumerics or green badging. Ford isn鈥檛 yet there on the badging and naming of the vehicle. But as for the name and the vehicle, 鈥渋t will bring emotion to the space,鈥?with reasons to want the vehicle beyond its eco potential. A vehicle you鈥檒l want. To get there, Ford has decided that all of its electric vehicles 鈥渨ill amplify what鈥檚 important in that particular segment,鈥?according to Palmer. The same reliability and quality as gasoline models. Since much of the core engineering is done in Dearborn, the vehicle has to be signed off to the same standards as an F-150 truck would be. That also means it will have to comply with sustained hills, towing, and durability tests鈥攁nd almost certainly have an advanced liquid-cooling system. 11 billion investment, which will include 16 fully electric vehicles and 40 electrified vehicles, globally, through 2022. A significant portion of this responsibility is in Team Edison鈥檚 hands. The crossover to come in 2020 is by no means a one-off model.

The plan is to have a scalable platform in 鈥渕ajor volume scale鈥?so that the company can get excellent battery prices. There鈥檚 an entire portfolio of EVs coming, to be built on this platform. With much to be answered about the missing piece鈥攑roduction and sales volume鈥擯almer couldn鈥檛 provide any on-the-record hints. But given the ambition behind this project and the goal to be profitable, you can bet this project鈥檚 big. As a further hint, Palmer told us that less than half of Team Edison is product-driven. Ed note: ya hear that? As the organization that鈥檚 responsible for the entire electric-vehicle shift, it has different ideas about ordering, delivery, and after-sales care; and it has to make sure U.S. Team Edison is also looking at mobile charging solutions and perhaps inductive charging, among many possibilities, Palmer said. Reality check: Ford wouldn鈥檛 be doing all of that for one vehicle, or if it intended to expand its reach just a step past Focus Electric. It鈥檚 already confirmed that a Lincoln electric vehicle will follow the Ford. Establishing the 鈥渨ant鈥?seems like the critical measurement for whether Team Edison is a success or not. Palmer sees many forces moving people toward EVs鈥攍ike regulation, cost to run, and sustainability.