2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E: First Drive (Jalopnik)
The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E is not as much fun as a real Mustang, but it's still good.
The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E is The Blue Oval’s first-ever high-volume electric car and an important step in keeping Ford competitive as the entire industry shifts towards EVs. I just drove the Mach-E for the first time, and while I wouldn’t call it exciting, it’s a good electric crossover SUV.
The Ford Mustang Mach-E is a rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive all-electric crossover SUV that comes with either a 68 kWh “standard range” battery (this is the usable capacity) or an 88 kWh “extended range” unit. The pack, filled with LG pouch cells, sits between the axles and acts as a structural component that bolts into the chassis from underneath. It’s a common setup among EVs. There are two available motors, a 210 kW (282 horsepower), 300 lb-ft unit and a 40 kW (67 horsepower), 111 lb-ft motor.
The Mach-E can be configured to have only one large motor in the rear, one large motor in the rear and a small motor up front, or a large motor in both the front and rear. Power for the Mach-E lineup ranges from 266 to 480 HP, with torque output between 317 and 634 lb-ft. Official EPA range estimates fall between 211 miles for standard range all-wheel drive models and 300 miles for extended range rear-wheel drive cars.
Suspension is a MacPherson strut design in the front and a multilink setup in the rear, as is typical in the mid-size crossover space. Overall dimensions are just a bit smaller than those of a Ford Edge SUV, and pricing starts at around $43,000, jumping up to roughly $61,000 for the GT extended range all-wheel drive model. Pricing for the performance version hasn’t been announced, but we do know that among other differences it makes 34 more lb-ft of torque than the 600 lb-ft GT model and cuts its estimated 0-60 mph time from 3.8 to 3.5 seconds.
(photo credit: David Tracy - Jalopnik)
