{"id":26481,"date":"2020-12-16T17:10:19","date_gmt":"2020-12-16T21:10:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=26481"},"modified":"2020-12-16T17:10:19","modified_gmt":"2020-12-16T21:10:19","slug":"payne-ford-mustang-mach-e-goes-toe-to-hoof-with-tesla-model-y","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2020\/12\/payne-ford-mustang-mach-e-goes-toe-to-hoof-with-tesla-model-y","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Ford Mustang Mach-E goes toe-to-hoof with Tesla Model Y"},"content":{"rendered":"

A 1910-era Model T sits on a farm just off North Territorial Road outside Unadilla, Michigan. I pulled my battery-powered 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E alongside for a picture.<\/p>\n

A century ago the Model T buried its electric-car competition with superior range and affordability \u2014 and revolutionized 20th-century transportation. At the dawn of the 21st century, the Mach-E SUV wants to bring EVs back from the dead.<\/p>\n

To achieve its goal, the Mach-E not only must prove itself superior to more affordable\u00a0gas-powered Ford sport-utilities \u2014 it also has to catch the Tesla Model Y. Silicon Valley\u2019s EV king deliberately pays homage to the Ford Model T\u2019s nomenclature as it seeks to revolutionize transportation.<\/p>\n

Rather than beat electrics again with its gas-powered haymaker, Ford wants to be an EV maker. The ironies make your head spin.<\/p>\n

Pulling back out onto twisty North Territorial, my path was blocked by a slower car. A brief passing zone appeared. I pounced. Zot! With instant electric torque, Mach-E was past.<\/p>\n

Glorious. Just like a Model Y.<\/p>\n

Yes, the Mustang Mach E is as good as a Tesla. And that\u2019s a compliment. For the last decade Detroit automakers have tried to outsmart Elon Musk\u2019s EV pioneer. GM made a $65,000 Cadillac ELR. Claiming superior hybrid plug-in technology to overcome range anxiety, the ELR was pummeled by the Tesla Model S.<\/p>\n

Then along came the $40,000\u00a0Chevy Bolt EV hatchback. It claimed superior build quality over the similarly priced Tesla Model 3. It even beat Model 3 to market. Tesla stomped it in sales.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n<\/div>

Ford has recognized that\u00a0like BMW\u2019s compact 3-series in luxury performance, you don\u2019t beat the segment standard with different technology, you match it with another powerful brand. The Audi A4 and Mercedes C-class have thrived under that theory. They baseline to BMW, and the cars are strong sellers.<\/p>\n

Acknowledging that the Model Y is a very good performance SUV, Ford has used it as the baseline for its own EV ute. And they badged the challenger with the automaker’s most formidable brand: Mustang.<\/p>\n

Tesla defined green luxury with face-flattening performance. Mustang \u2014 not Cadillac, not Chevy \u2014 is one of the few Detroit legacy brands that has immediate performance respect. And Mach-E (that badge itself conjures the ferocious, 1970s\u00a0Mach 1 coupe) milks that legacy for all it’s worth while going toe-to-hoof, spec-to-spec\u00a0with the Model Y.<\/p>\n

Rather than reinvent the electron, Mach-E is a Model Y doppelg\u00e4nger.<\/p>\n

Model Y has 300 miles of range? So does the Mach E. Model Y has a 15-inch screen. Mach E\u2019s is 15.5 inches. Both have frunks. Remote app for Y? Same in E. Panoramic roof? Check. High-performance model? Check.<\/p>\n

Audi stands out from BMW with all-wheel drive and a mega-grille. Mercedes has a superior interior. Having matched Model Y\u2019s specs, the\u00a0Mach-E aims to beat it by being less radical.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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Tesla\u2019s blank face makes the point that EVs don\u2019t need grilles to cool radiators. But it\u2019s a bit off-putting. Mach-E traces the outline of a familiar Mustang grille. The ute isn\u2019t pretty (is any SUV?), but it\u2019s got Papa \u2019Stang\u2019s DNA.<\/p>\n

The yuuuge center touchscreen is quick and\u00a0easy-to-use. \u201cNavigate to Unadilla General Store\u201d I barked, and the screen filled with turn-by-turn directions. But Mach-E helpfully adds a second instrument display behind the steering wheel etched with essentials like navigation, range and speed.\u00a0More traditional than radical Tesla, but some might find it more workable.<\/p>\n

Familiar touchpoints abound. The Mach-E’s mirror controls are on the door rather than in the screen like the Model Y. Cruise-control buttons are on the steering wheel. A giant knob controls radio volume. There’s a good ol\u2019 Ford rotary gear-selector.<\/p>\n

\"To<\/p>\n
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Hustling along East Territorial, I selected the Unbridled performance drive mode and the Mach-E started to growl like a … well, Mustang. Grrrr. The piped-in sound can be muted, but it\u2019s welcome pony brand reinforcement.<\/p>\n

Ford hopes that familiarity will carry over into choosing a reliable, legacy automaker. After all, for every Tesla convert there\u2019s a story about a rear bumper falling off. Or month-long waits for a mobile repair unit. Buy a Mustang EV and help is as close as the neighborhood Ford dealer.<\/p>\n

But these traditional backstops are also a reminder the Mach E lacks some of the derring-do that has made Tesla stand out. Model Y\u2019s Apple-simple dash, for example: Big screen aside, the Mach-E feels less luxurious with common dash contours and cloth trim inserts. Tesla has playful features like whoopie cushions and a crackling fireplace.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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But most significantly, Tesla has the nation\u2019s best fast-charging network. It\u2019s the brand\u2019s secret sauce, and it\u2019s intimidating to contemplate trips without it.<\/p>\n

Ford relies on third parties like Electrify America, EV-Go\u00a0and Chargepoint. It\u2019s bundled them like a cable service-provider under the FordPass app so you can pay with one account. But the patchwork of stations is a crazy quilt compared to Tesla\u2019s uniform, multi-stall superchargers.<\/p>\n