Ford took the name of one of its most iconic muscle cars for its first fully electric model. The Mustang Mach-E may not have a 5.0 litre V8 under the bonnet but it still accelerates very rapidly and has powerful, sporty styling.
Prices start at a little above £50,000 and you can choose from a 75kWh Standard Range model or an Extended Range version with a 98kWh battery. Buyers can also pick a single motor car with rear-wheel drive or a dual motor version that has four-wheel drive.
The most rangy versions of the Mustang Mach-E can cover up to 372 miles on a single charge, making it one of the best electric cars for people who need to cover big distances.
Even the most basic versions have a good turn of speed. The Standard Range model has 265bhp and delivers an 0-62mph time of 6.9 seconds. The Extended Range with four-wheel drive has 346bhp and trims the 0-62mph dash down to 5.8 seconds.
Want true sports car performance? Then take a look at the Mach-E GT, which has 480bhp and a 3.7 second 0-62mph time.
Getting to know the Mustang Mach-E
I spent a week with the Mach-E Extended Range AWD version in high spec Premium trim. It’s a great all round version of the car. You get an excellent 351 mile range along with the extra traction offered by four-wheel drive. A 5.8 second 0-62mph time gives it more than enough pace for all but the most die-hard of drivers.
It costs just north of £65,000. That’s far from the cheapest version of the Mustang Mach-E, but it comes with all the kit you could want.
You get leather upholstery, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, dual zone climate control, electric front seats, a panoramic glass roof and a 10-speaker B&O sound system.
The Mustang Mach-E is one of the most engaging electric cars I’ve driven. A responsive throttle means it races off the line. Meanwhile, light and accurate steering makes it easy to place in corners.
Large batteries make electric cars heavy so the Mustang Mach-E doesn’t exactly feel nimble during hard cornering but it does grip very well. Indeed, the original Mustang muscle car was built for straight lines and the electric version probably handles slightly better than the big V8 coupe.
Acceleration is very rapid. I would struggle to justify the extra £10,000 for the even faster GT version of the car.
Wind and road noise are well suppressed and twitchy ride quality is the only thing that stops the Mustang Mach-E being an exceptionally comfortable long distance cruiser.
Spacious interior
The interior offers plenty of space, with lots of head and legroom in the front and the rear. The boot has 402 litres of volume and there’s a useful front boot that adds another 100 litres of space and is perfect for stowing the charging cables.
The front boot also has drainage and can be used to store muddy outdoors gear. I found this useful after a day on the hills above Dunkeld. Muddy shoes and socks were thrown into the front boot and a quick rinse with the hose when I got home left everything spotless.
Controls are operated via a huge central touchscreen and the driver has a digital display. Temperature and fan controls are fiddly to operate using tiny tabs on the touchscreen but fortunately you can also use the large dial at the bottom of the screen for these functions.
I really enjoyed my time with the Ford Mustang Mach-E. It is, to my eyes, one of the best looking electric cars. It’s fast and fun to drive. It has a spacious practical interior. If Ford can improve the ride quality it will be an exceptionally good electric SUV.
Facts
Price: £65,405
0-62mph: 5.8 seconds
Top speed: 111mph
Range: 341 miles
CO2 emissions: 0g/km
