Heading: Coverage of automotive industry evolution by Excursionist Media
Author: Zhou Changxian
“Life and death are indifferent, if you can’t accept it, just do it.”
On October 11, at the Mustang Mach-E “Electric Horse Sets Out” brand event, Mark Kaufman, General Manager of Ford’s electric vehicle division, again referred to the famous saying of Lei Jun.
On the big screen, the English translation of this sentence was displayed – “Compete like a challenger”. Although the rhythm and momentum were slightly inferior to the Chinese version, it did not affect the fact that it was a hormone-burning press conference.
“As the most passionate and surging wave of electrification in Ford’s E-surge, Mustang Mach-E is born with the halo of the legendary brand Mustang, and has achieved preliminary success in the North American and European markets as Ford’s first global pure electric SUV model,” said Chen Anning, CEO and President of Ford China.
He admitted that the success of Mustang Mach-E in the European and American markets was attributed to Ford’s global strategy of overturning itself and making every effort to electrify. Of course, Ford also hopes to extend this success to the Chinese market.
After a brief opening speech, Chen Anning transformed into a racing driver, driving a red Mustang Mach-E GT, carrying a booked customer, and galloping around the Tianma Circuit in Shanghai. The drone transmitted the scene to the big screen in real time, and the air was filled with speed and passion.
In fact, half a year ago, at the debut of Mustang Mach-E, Ford had already stirred up a wave. At that time, the prices of the four models – Standard Range RWD, Extended Range RWD, Extended Range AWD Performance, and GT First Edition – were announced. Whether it was the price range of 265,000 yuan to 379,900 yuan, or the specific configuration, they were all targeted at the domestic Model Y.
However, after half a year, Mustang Mach-E has not been delivered, but the situation in the electric vehicle market has changed a lot.
The data shows that the electric vehicle market has been on an upward trend. From January to September, the cumulative retail sales of new energy passenger vehicles reached 1.818 million units, up 203.1% year-on-year. On the other hand, competitors emerge one after another. For example, in the self-owned brand camp, competitors like JiKe 001 have appeared, while the Model Y is advancing rapidly, with sales reaching 30,000 units in September.
As the year-end delivery approaches, it is necessary for Ford to hold a grand press conference to cheer for the Ford E-wave and promote the Mustang Mach-E.
As Chen Anning said, “Today, the Mustang Mach-E GT is being released in the Chinese market simultaneously with the global market. As the largest electric vehicle market in the world, China is a must-win battlefield for all brands and an important part of Ford’s global electrification strategy.”
Electric Horse Journey
On Ford’s “Electric Horse Journey” brand night, two main things were announced. One is the official launch of the Ford Select high-end smart electric car brand in the Chinese market, and the other is the global launch of the Ford Mustang Mach-E GT.
The newly launched Ford Select high-end smart electric car brand will rely on an independent electric vehicle direct sales network to provide exclusive user experiences, worry-free charging, and sales services that embody the Ford spirit for the Chinese market. At the same time, a new logo will be used to upgrade the user experience comprehensively, further deepening Ford’s investment in the Chinese electric vehicle market and accelerating Ford’s brand electrification transformation. The Mustang Mach-E that was born from the legendary Mustang family is the first product of the electric vehicle exclusive brand, leading the way for electrification and intelligence transformation.
“Ford Select will bring products that represent freedom, self-breakthrough and unique personality. We will also provide users with an always-online experience through direct connection and OTA upgrade technology,” said Ke Fuming.
To improve the full-life cycle user experience of electric vehicle users, Ford will accelerate the layout of electric vehicle direct sales networks, and plans to open more than 100 Ford electric vehicle city stores in the Chinese market by 2025. In the future, more Ford legendary smart electric vehicles will be sold and serviced under the Ford Select direct sales network. At the same time, Ford will continue to enhance the user charging experience and establish a “3-kilometer” recharge circle in key cities.In accordance with the plan, by the end of 2021, Mustang Mach-E users will be able to access 400,000 high-quality public charging piles provided by 24 charging operators including State Grid, TELD, Star Charge, Southern Power Grid, Yunfast Charging, and NIO Power through the vehicle owner App with one-click, including 230,000 DC fast charging piles covering more than 80% of public charging resources in 349 cities across the country.
At the launch event, Ford also unveiled the Chinese naming of its new Mustang Mach-E models, including the GT First Edition, GT, Unlimited RWD Luxury Edition (Long Endurance), Unlimited RWD Edition (Long Endurance), and Leap Ahead RWD Edition (Standard Endurance). These five models will be available for pre-order on October 18th.
The highlight of the launch event was undoubtedly the global simultaneous release of the Mustang Mach-E GT model.
The domestic version of the Mach-E GT is priced at RMB 369,900, which is RMB 10,000 lower than the GT First Edition version. However, apart from the different wheels and the exclusive “Flicker Star Blue Metallic Paint”, there is no significant difference between the two models in terms of appearance.
As a limited edition, Mustang Mach-E GT First Edition owners will have more privileges. For example, they will automatically become members of the Ford Electric Horse Club, and Ford will customize professional track driving training courses for each member so that they can fully experience the speed and passion represented by the Mustang Mach-E, and also receive a variety of gifts, including the GT First Edition global limited edition 3D electric horse art installation.
“Mustang Mach-E GT is meant to inject passion into the new energy vehicle market,” said Ke Fuming, “Mustang Mach-E is the only mass-produced car tuned by a racing simulator. Our users can personally experience this intelligent pure electric SUV designed for the younger generation, and Chinese consumers can also appreciate the pioneering spirit represented by the Mustang brand.”
In order to enable the media to truly experience the passion and pioneering spirit of the Mustang Mach-E GT, Ford arranged a test drive session at the Tianma Circuit, featuring a 3.65 Formula challenge.
First Driving Experience
If you are a Mustang fan, or a lover of aesthetics, you will feel the beauty of the power of the Mustang Mach-E GT at first sight.Inheriting the design DNA of Mustang, Mustang Mach-E GT creates a dynamic and streamlined proportion through classic long hood, large-angle A-pillar, top Fastback curve, wide track, and low posture, which also brings stronger muscle sense and reminds people of the classic American muscle car design.
While paying tribute to classics, Mustang Mach-E GT is not simply a replica but has many unique and innovative designs. For example, the Fastback curve endows the vehicle with a smooth body line and cleverly ensures plenty of headroom in the rear seats through design techniques. The “E-Latch” design without external door handles, which reduces wind resistance, makes the side of the body smooth and streamlined.
Like Tesla and XPeng, Mustang Mach-E GT does not require a physical key but can be automatically unlocked and started and locked automatically when leaving the vehicle through the smart phone key that supports PaaK.
What interests me most is its strong and interesting sense of ceremony. When you press the button to open the door, the Pony welcome light below the front door lights up and projects the classic galloping horse pattern of Mustang on the ground. At the same time, accompanied by pleasing sound effects, the atmosphere light inside the cabin starts flickering.
Entering the cabin, the 15.5-inch central control screen is eye-catching with a high-definition resolution of 1080*1920. Interestingly, there is a circular physical suspension knob embedded at the bottom of the screen, but its function is very simple and can only be used to adjust the volume.
To meet the diverse needs of consumers in terms of energy recovery and driving experience, Ford has created three completely different driving theme modes, namely, Whisper, Engage, and Unbridled. In fact, these are the common economy, standard, and sports modes in other brands.
It is worth mentioning that the latter two modes can also simulate the sound of an engine. If combined with the “L” gear and the closed single pedal mode, the driving experience of a fuel vehicle can be instantly restored.
From the data perspective, Mustang Mach-E GT is not outstanding. Its power system has a maximum output power of 359 kilowatts and a torque of 860 newton meters, and the maximum range under the national standard CLTC working condition is 492 kilometers.
The only commendable aspect of the Mustang Mach-E is its 0 to 100 km/h acceleration performance of 3.65 seconds. Another noteworthy feature is the driving excitement that is lacking in most electric cars but is brought back by the Brembo aluminum four-piston calipers and the Pirelli P Zero or Goodyear Eagle Touring custom-developed tires, both long-proven on the tracks and tuned exclusively with the Ford Global Performance Car team’s race simulator for the Mach-E.
Before turning around the corners, when stepping on the brake pedal, drivers will feel that the brake traction control system of the Mustang Mach-E is more inclined to the rear wheels. In addition, the all-wheel-drive system adjusts the front-rear power ratio to let the rear axle output about 55% of the power and bring a more flexible driving experience when detecting wet or slippery road surfaces or driving aggressively.
Since this was an engineering vehicle test drive, we did not experience the new-generation SYNC+ 2.0 intelligent connectivity system or test the more than 20 L2-level Ford Co-Pilot360 intelligent driving assistance functions included in the domestically produced Mustang Mach-E GT. We will cover these aspects in a future article once there is a long-term test drive opportunity.
Conclusion
In my opinion, the Mustang Mach-E is indeed a good car. Not only does it have the endorsement of the legendary Mustang brand, but it also has unique racing genes that make it stand out from other products in its class.
Of course, there are also some shortcomings.
Firstly, it lacks localization. For example, the DC charging port is located on the left front side, which is designed for parking habits in the US market. Since the pipelines are already set up, the Chinese design team cannot relocate it and it can only remain as it is.
Secondly, some of the designs are relatively conservative. For example, when using automatic parking, the driver must hold down a button all the time. If the button is released, the vehicle will stop. This is for safety considerations, but is it necessary?
However, consumers who fuss over the above issues or even complain about its range ability are definitely not the target users of the Mustang Mach-E.In further analysis, when your strength is long enough, some weaknesses are not a disadvantage but a unique feature that fans love to talk about. To make a success in the Chinese market, Mustang Mach-E needs to first win over its supporters and then seek a larger user base.
In the name of Mustang, Ford’s electric horse has already set out on a journey. Next, it needs to accelerate and fight closely with its competitors.
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.