Mustang Mach E Extended Range RWD: The Electric Pony
Mustang and electric, not instantly two things you’d associate with one another. The Mustang Mach E isn’t the usual pony you’d expect. It’s Ford’s first SUV under the Mustang name and also the brand’s first all-electric car.
Looking at the outside of the car, it’s a different look than what we’re used to seeing when you think about a Mustang. The long, streamlined body with its roofline trick gives it a sporty look. At the back, we can find the signature Mustang taillights.
It’s a lot of hits but also misses in the styling. The small wheels, which are the only wheels you can get on the RWD model, don’t help either. The limited amount of options might be because Ford wants to sell this as a low complexity model with a large central stock. That way you won’t have to wait months after you’ve placed down your order.
Inside the Mach E breathes in open air thanks to its wide design and big windscreen. The interior is intuitive and very clean because there’s not a button for every useless feature. There’s just this big screen. And when we’re saying big, it’s big. With its 15.5-inch diameter screen and the one button is a volume button stuck on the screen, it’s the centerpiece of the car.
Comfy horse?
Regarding comfort, there’s not anything to fault on the Mach E. SUVs are mainly characterized for their comfortable handling and the Mach E is no exception to this. Especially on these Belgian roads, comfort is not something you want to miss in a car. The Mach E glides over any imperfections in the road making them feel smoother than they are. This should come as no surprise as the dynamics of the car were developed here in Belgium at the Lommel Proving Grounds. If we can note one thing we didn’t like, it’s the active lane assist. Being the car is on the wider side of the spectrum, it tended to correct a lot before it needed to. You’d feel the steering move around all the time due to the car correcting.
Sporty horse?
Driving electric is always a different experience than driving an ICE car but that doesn’t mean it’s less fun. The Mach E was a testimony to that. It’s a big and heavy car but it doesn’t feel that way when you’re driving the car. It’s surprisingly smooth and light making it feel sporty in a way. One thing which still needs some work is the one-pedal drive. There’s not a lot of depth in the pedal that is dedicated to slowing down gradually, it’s either all regenerative braking or nothing.
Ford claims the RWD Extended Range Mach E with a 98,9 kWh battery will drive up to 610 km on one charge in ideal conditions meaning dry, not too cold, and heating the battery pack before actually setting off. Sadly with cold and rainy conditions it meant we could only get about 350-400 km out of the car which is still okay for an EV. The Extended Range model also allows for up to 150 kW charging compared to the 115 kW on the Standard Range model.
Competitive horse?
So is this electric horse the car Ford needs to compete in this growing segment? Well starting from 49.300 € (60.350 € as tested) and considering what you’re getting, the Mach E makes for a very competitive deal.
Just one thing: it’s still weird calling this a Mustang.
