Let’s talk about whether it’s worth it
To talk about whether it’s worth it, just look at the Tesla Model Y that sold 10,000 units in China in March. After all, the parameters of this “electric horse” can compete head-on with the Model Y.
Let’s compare the corresponding version’s price, Tesla’s favorite endurance value and acceleration performance, and the overall space value:
Isn’t it a close competition?
But wait, there is the legendary MUSTANG brand reshaping.
How to successfully reshape a legendary brand with millions of fans?
The iconic Mustang design elements such as the shining electric horse logo, muscular lines and curves, classic large horsepower rear-wheel-drive car proportions created by the long hood, two-tone roof moldings, and the Tri-bar taillights inherited from half a century ago… all the sexy elements of the Mustang Mach-E are almost unrelated to the original product design which was just an ordinary vehicle built for complying with fuel consumption and new energy credits (carbon emissions).
Before the Mustang Mach-E (hereinafter referred to as Mach-E) was produced in China by Ford, a major change occurred in the project. The original product was set to be ordinary, built for compliance with fuel consumption and new energy credits, with a front-wheel-drive chassis, and even on the fence about providing four-wheel drive. Acceleration was meant to be sufficient, space was the selling point, and the exterior design was similar to that of an MAV in proportion. As for driver assistance and cabin design, they were basic, similar to those of other low-priced traditional energy-powered vehicles in the model range.
I can’t remember if it’s Ford’s current global CEO Jim Farley or the original idea of the electric vehicle team Team Edison, to mark this ordinary car which exists solely for the purpose of environmental protection compliance with the legendary name of Ford and wear the MOST MANLY, iconic and popular badge of the company-MUSTANG.
However, I remember the reason for this change. In July of that year, Tesla delivered the Model 3 with an EPA range of up to 300 miles, a performance version with a zero to 60 mph acceleration time of 3 seconds, and a futuristic exterior and interior design. Before the delivery started, Tesla announced that the number of orders for the Model 3 had exceeded 500,000 units. Although this number cannot match the delivery volume in the following years, it was enough to wake up the friends in Dearborn Ford’s global headquarters who were still working on environmental compliance small electric cars.
Wearing the MUSTANG logo is just the appearance of the Mach-E. In order to create a pure electric product that can compete with Tesla, Ford has made full preparations for the Mach-E’s internal quality, including range, power, acceleration, space, styling, interaction, and auxiliary driving, to achieve an all-around evolution and elevate the performance of this product from a rational usability level to a new level of emotional charm:
- Zero to 60 mph acceleration time of 3 seconds and introduction of a high-performance team to ensure driving control
- EPA range of up to 300 miles (North American version, CLTC cycle range of 600 kilometers for China version)
- In-car interaction and advanced driving assistance system that equals or outperforms industry leaders
- The vehicle’s electronic architecture supports FOTA, and software experience is upgradable throughout the lifecycle
Do you think that’s all? Ford’s thinking did not stop here.
User Experience Philosophy From a Century-Old Automaker
Almost at the same time as the Mach-E project’s transformation, Ford’s internal design began a user experience-oriented approach. During this period, Ford introduced several products based on this approach, such as the new-generation flagship pickup truck F-150, the classic off-road Bronco, and the small SUV Puma for Ford Europe. The F-150 features fully flat front seats, foldable gearshift, small center console table, and a tailgate generator, while the Bronco has modular hardware that can be reconfigured or upgraded, an easily removable soft-top, and doorless design for easy storage. Puma has a rear floor spare tire well design that expands storage space.
These designs were not fanciful, but based on real pain points of users’ actual use, and they were improved based on existing product hardware designs. They ensure functional pain point solutions, while also ensuring reliability and not changing too much of the familiar usage habits for owners. This is a user experience philosophy that a century-old automaker has brought out.In Mach-E, these considerations are based on the new product characteristics of pure electric models, user pain points caused by existing designs of other products in the same class, and Ford’s own mature engineering design:
- The door handle is hidden, but not the kind of popular hidden handle found in many new cars;
On Mach-E, Ford has designed a small circular button on all four doors that resembles the previous iPhone HOME button. Pressing it will extend a collision pillar inside the mechanical structure of the door, and open the door actively at a certain angle. Even if both hands are holding coffee cups, the door can be easily opened.
The force of the collision pillar automatically opening the door has been tested in the severe winter cold of the five Great Lakes in Dearborn, where Ford’s headquarters are located, and in the winter in Norway. It ensures that the handle won’t freeze like the frequently-seen hidden door handles.
(A typical “innovative achievement of cold zone new carmakers,” so cool!)
- Your phone can be the key, and you don’t need to take it out when you’re close to the car.
In addition to a physical key, Mach-E also has a phone key. Ford’s phone key is not new, but it is very complete in terms of functionality. It uses low-power Bluetooth BLE 4.2, has nine Bluetooth antennas throughout the vehicle, and can pair with up to four phones. Its functions are similar to those of a physical key. When a phone is near the car, you don’t need to take it out to unlock all the doors, the tailgate, and other features. It also supports keyless entry, keyless start, and automatic locking and unlocking when you leave the car.
- The front trunk is big, but it’s not just about its size.
In the initial design of Mach-E, there was no strict design benchmark for the front trunk. The Model S and Model X have front trunk capacities of 59.6 L and 187 L, respectively. The smaller Model 3 is slightly smaller than the Model S, and the Model Y, based on the Model 3, had not yet been released at the time. Therefore, Ford’s engineering team set the front trunk space of Mach-E at 136 L, based on the extensive potential of the pure electric platform. Almost at the same time, the Model Y was released with a front trunk capacity of only 100 L (measured by a third party).
At the same time, Ford’s engineering team did not stop at just the size of the front trunk but fully explored its usage scenarios. Considering the past usage of the rear trunk, which could not be used to store wet, damp, or needing-to-be-cleaned items due to its connection with the rear seats, Mach-E’s front trunk was isolated from the cabin, making it a perfect storage location for these items. Ford’s engineering team designed Mach-E’s front trunk with a washable waterproof inner panel, a detachable water guide hole at the bottom, and a removable storage separator.
- There is a large touch screen, but the screen interaction is not limited to touch.
In response to the pain point of unfriendly blind operation of large-screen interaction, Ford’s interior engineering team carefully designed a hardware knob on the 15-inch vertical screen of the center console, which has been named the “Magic Floating Knob” at the press conference. Friends who can touch the actual car can experience it.
- The windshield and panoramic sunroof both have heat-insulating coatings.
In response to concerns about being sunburned in the car due to the panoramic sunroof design, as well as the annoyance of rising temperatures in the car due to the sun’s exposure in summer, the Mach-E has additional coatings built into the windshield and panoramic sunroof glass.
The front windshield is a triple-layer IRR silver coating, which needs to ensure visible light transmittance while reducing solar transmittance because it is a windshield. Both performance indicators exceed many high-priced aftermarket films.
The panoramic sunroof is made of chemical vapor deposition Low-E indium tin oxide film layer, which is also far ahead of aftermarket films in terms of visible light transmittance and solar transmittance.
- There is a sleek roof curve, but the interior space is not cramped.
Since wearing the MUSTANG logo, the classic Fastback design cannot be abandoned. Ford’s designers and engineering department fully utilized the two-tone roof to create a visually sleek curve and take into account the head space of the rear seats.
These experience points are only part of the Mach-E’s overall user experience design, and more highlights are left for you to personally experience on the actual car.
Whether you want to drive seriously or not, everything is taken care of.
For those who want to drive, the Mustang Mach-E can provide leading driving and handling feel at this price point. Driving and handling feel is a relatively abstract thing to talk about, and I am not good at explaining it, so let me give an example.
The team that created the Mustang Mach-E’s driving and handling feel is not an ordinary engineering team, but a Ford Performance high-performance team that has created well-known vehicles such as Mustang GT350, Mustang GT500, F-150 Raptor, and Focus RS. As for how it actually performs, wait until there are test drive cars, and everyone will know after giving it a try.
Oh, by the way, foreign media who have tried it out have all praised the driving feel.
For friends who “don’t want to drive”, the Mach-E is tailored for them instead of Model 3/Y. In terms of hardware for assisted driving, all models have 6 cameras and 17 radars as standard, and smart assisted driving hardware is installed in the front.
Regarding software, all models come with the L2-level Ford Co-Pilot 360 Professional Package for smart driving assistance. The package includes more than 20 intelligent driving assistance functions. Especially the full-speed driving assistance function in congested and high-speed mode is basically the same as that of the Model Y without FSD.
At the same time, you can also choose to upgrade to the Co-Pilot 360 Advanced Driving Assistance Package, which includes the BlueCruise active driving assistance function. In theory, it can be completely hands-free driving in specific areas. However, this operation is not recommended as it is restricted by national laws and regulations.
But as a relatively conservative traditional car manufacturer, it is regrettable that assisted driving functions such as automatic turn signal lane change have not been introduced yet. They still take a relatively stable approach.
That’s about it. I haven’t mentioned the B&O soundbar speaker integrated with the classic Mustang dashboard yet. Let’s stop here. We will add more details with another question tomorrow.
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.