{"id":24394,"date":"2019-11-19T14:38:05","date_gmt":"2019-11-19T18:38:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=24394"},"modified":"2019-11-19T14:38:05","modified_gmt":"2019-11-19T18:38:05","slug":"first-drives-ford-and-porsche-challenge-tesla-with-new-evs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2019\/11\/first-drives-ford-and-porsche-challenge-tesla-with-new-evs","title":{"rendered":"First drives: Ford and Porsche challenge Tesla with new EVs"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"speakable-p-1 p-text\"><em>Los Angeles<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 Navigate California\u2019s clotted highways and there is no doubt which electric brand reigns supreme. Teslas \u2014\u00a0particularly the compact Model 3 sedan\u00a0\u2014 are ubiquitous.<\/p>\n<p class=\"speakable-p-2 p-text\">But as the\u00a0Los Angeles Auto Show opens this week, the Silicon Valley\u00a0electric-vehicle maker is under assault as never before.\u00a0Mustang and Porsche, two of the industry\u2019s most formidable performance names, are debuting battery-powered cars\u00a0that are Tesla&#8217;s equal in speed and brand appeal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">First drives in both vehicles reveal that the hounds have caught up with the fox.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-SQrZrLp2kDk\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/11\/18\/PDTN\/bb264819-a81a-4685-a761-f0ead828e261-AP5376274253786319.jpg?crop=7117,4345,x703,y276&amp;width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/11\/18\/PDTN\/bb264819-a81a-4685-a761-f0ead828e261-AP5376274253786319.jpg?crop=7117,4345,x703,y276\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/11\/18\/PDTN\/bb264819-a81a-4685-a761-f0ead828e261-AP5376274253786319.jpg?crop=7117,4345,x703,y276\" \/>The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Ford)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Beginning at $44,995, the 2021 Mustang Mach-E SUV\u00a0takes on the heart of Tesla\u2019s lineup:\u00a0the $39,490 Model 3 and its forthcoming crossover clone, the $40,020 Model Y. At the luxury end of the electric\u00a0market, the 2020 Porsche Taycan performance sedan, starting at about $106,000, wants to poach buyers who might have gone for a $79,990 Tesla Model S.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-SQrZrLo6IYA\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/11\/18\/PDTN\/4ec58726-c433-473f-90ba-dc11df37f102-high_taycan_turbo_s_2019_porsche_ag.jpg?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2020 Porsche Taycan.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/11\/18\/PDTN\/4ec58726-c433-473f-90ba-dc11df37f102-high_taycan_turbo_s_2019_porsche_ag.jpg\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/11\/18\/PDTN\/4ec58726-c433-473f-90ba-dc11df37f102-high_taycan_turbo_s_2019_porsche_ag.jpg\" \/>The 2020 Porsche Taycan.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Porsche)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The squeeze at both segments of the market is hardly coordinated, but the threat to Tesla\u2019s manufacturing and capital infrastructure is real. Porsche and Ford are backed with deep resources that will allow them to keep improving and expand their offerings.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">In a cheeky move, Ford gave journalists rides in the Mustang Mach-E on Friday at Los Angeles County&#8217;s\u00a0Hawthorne Airport, home of Tesla\u2019s design studio.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Riding along in the back seat of a pre-production Mach E driven by race driver Kai Goddard (journalists will drive the Mustang in 2020), the all-wheel drive, big-battery version of the Mach-E launched from stoplights like a Model 3. Zot! Zero-60 comes in the mid 5-second range.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">With the power unit over the rear wheels like the Teslas, the Mach-E\u00a0puts down its 417 pound-feet of torque seamlessly compared to lesser front-wheel drive competitors from Nissan and Chevy. Around a slalom course, the Mach-E is not as nimble as the low-slung Model 3 sedan, but exhibits little body roll for an upright SUV.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The Mustang replicates the Tesla\u2019s interior cool-factor with a big center-touchscreen and easy-to-use icons to negotiate EV staples like regenerative braking and Mach-E\u2019s Unbridled driving mode \u2013 a close cousin of Tesla\u2019s Insane\u00a0and Ludicrous modes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The creators of the the Mach-E are\u00a0also acutely aware of what customers have found wanting in the Model 3.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Some Tesla drivers have pined for a head-up display.\u00a0<em>Voila!\u00a0<\/em>The<em>\u00a0<\/em>Mach-E places a small instrument display behind the steering wheel with driving essentials like a speedometer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Tesla has lagged in the infotainment game as it has tried to develop its own proprietary services. In contrast,\u00a0\u00a0the Ford brings familiar industry options \u2013 AM\/FM, Sirius XM \u2013 as well as consumer favorites like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">In short, the Mach-E matches Model 3 and Model Y innovation while maintaining popular traditions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">For Porsche, what is lacking in a Tesla is what&#8217;s\u00a0lacking in anything that is not a Porsche: more horsepower, more torque, more athleticism.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Despite a truck-like curb weight of 5,200 pounds (some 45%\u00a0more than a Porsche Cayman coupe) the all-wheel drive\u00a0$185,000 Taycan Turbo S sedan handled like a sports car on a 175-mile test drive through California\u2019s challenging Angeles Crest curves.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Where other European premium brands have focused on Tesla\u2019s interior and design amenities, Porsche girded for raw speed. The Taycan has accomplished the improbable by making\u00a0an electric car handle like a Porsche.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The Taycan nearly matches the Tesla Model S P100D\u2019s blistering acceleration with neck-straining, sub 3-second launch control starts. Through mountainous roller-coaster curves, Porsche uses all the tools in its toolbox \u2014 all-wheel steering, electronic limited-slip differentials, 12-inch-wide tires \u2014\u00a0to keep the electric beast planted.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">So quick is the Porsche that it set an electric-car lap record around the famous\u00a012.8-mile N\u00fcrburgring race track of 7 minutes, 42 seconds \u2013 a feat that got Elon Musk\u2019s attention. Tesla has been testing at N\u00fcrburgring to take the record back.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Interestingly, both Ford and Porsche feel the need to pipe artificial sound into the cockpit to mimic a gas engine. The low growl is meant to satisfy customers who expect a roar\u00a0from their legacy automakers,\u00a0unlike electric-only Tesla.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The challenge of prying Californians away from their native Teslas will be greatest when it comes to charging. Tesla is a synonymous with its own supercharging network, whereas Ford and Porsche (and other automakers) are dependent on a patchwork of third-party charging stations \u2013 most prominently Electrify America, which aims\u00a0to rival Tesla\u2019s network over time.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Tesla\u2019s visionary CEO Elon Musk is\u00a0a cult-like figure that rival automakers can\u2019t match. Like Steve Jobs, the late Apple founder, Musk\u2019s product reveals are like rock concerts attended by the Tesla faithful.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Ford\u2019s Mustang Mach-E launch here Sunday was a glitzy but familiar automaker product intro complete with an Idris Elba celebrity endorsement.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Even Musk weighed\u00a0in with kudos, tweeting: &#8220;Congratulations on the Mach E! Sustainable\/electric cars are the future!! Excited to see this announcement from Ford, as it will encourage other carmakers to go electric too.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">It\u2019s not the first time a Detroit automaker has had high hopes of dethroning Tesla. The Chevrolet Bolt debuted to much fanfare in 2016, armed with a fresh battery architecture and innovative interior. Like the Mach-E, the Bolt\u2019s five-door hatchback style targeted the sweet spot of the U.S. market.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The Bolt&#8217;s low center of gravity and instant torque make\u00a0for thrilling bursts out of stoplights. Invading Tesla\u2019s California backyard, the Bolt even won plaudits from West Coast celebrities like Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak who traded\u00a0his Model S for a Bolt.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The Bolt beat the Model 3 to market by a full year &#8230; but has made barely a dent in the EV market, selling some 1,500 units a month compared to the Model 3\u2019s 12,500.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The Mustang \u2013 like the Porsche \u2013 brings rear-wheel-drive performance moxie\u00a0to the fight that other automakers have lacked. But can brands developed on growling\u00a0gas engines translate in\u00a0an electric space?<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">As more competitors from Audi to Volvo enter the premium EV space, the question will be whether they can become volume-sellers like Tesla \u2013 or just low-volume alternatives.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">California sales will be the test of whether the tide turns.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Los Angeles\u00a0\u2013 Navigate California\u2019s clotted highways and there is no doubt which electric brand reigns supreme. Teslas \u2014\u00a0particularly the compact Model 3 sedan\u00a0\u2014 are ubiquitous. But as the\u00a0Los Angeles Auto Show opens this week, the Silicon Valley\u00a0electric-vehicle maker is under assault as never before.\u00a0Mustang and Porsche, two of the industry\u2019s most formidable performance names, are [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24394"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24394"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24394\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24394"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24394"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24394"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}