autoevolution
 

Ford CEO on the Mach-E vs Model Y Rivalry: "Tesla Is Not a Mustang"

Ford is getting ready for the actual release of its first-ever true electric vehicle, the Mustang Mach-E crossover. Yup, an electric Mustang that's also a crossover on top of it.
Ford Mustang Mach-E 79 photos
Photo: Ford
Ford Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-EFord Mustang Mach-E
The carmaker decided to employ the help of what is arguably its most marketable moniker, the Mustang, to boost the awareness around its first mass-market battery-powered vehicle. It looks like the strategy worked as Ford has registered plenty of reservations for the model, enough to keep the production going for at least a full year.

Indeed, in another first for the brand, Ford decided to use a reservation process for the Mach-E as it was confident the EV would elicit a strong demand from the public. The company seems to have gambled with a lot of things, but so far, most of them appear to have paid off.

Given the crossover allure and its pricing - as well as the fact that any Tesla is the benchmark in its segment - ever since its introduction, the Mustang Mach-E has been compared against the Model Y. The Californian EV has had its problems but despite the quality issues, most owners are pretty happy with what they've got. That means the Mach-E is going to face an uphill battle once Ford finishes the vetting process and gives its production the full green light.

However, Ford CEO Jim Farley is pretty bullish about the Blue Oval model's chances. "The vehicle is a game changer," he said, talking to the Detroit Free Press. "For me, the Mach-E is the first true competitor with Tesla. It's got Detroit swagger. It's a Mustang. Tesla is not a Mustang."

Some Mustang fans would argue the same thing about the Mach-E and, depending on how broad your definition of what a Mustang is, it might be pretty hard to combat them. Still, that doesn't seem to bother Farley who expects the production of the new EV to hit 50,000 units globally in its first year.

Talking about the production process, the top Ford official had this to say: "We're not ramping up that curve and making hundreds a day. We're literally building Mach-E's right now and building a lot but in lower volumes. We'll build them and test them and make sure they're perfect. We'll sort out every problem. Once we're satisfied, we've got every problem solved, then we turn on the light switch and go into job one."

Was that a dig at Tesla? 

Is it a not so veiled jab at the poor quality standards so many people complained about after picking up their Model Ys? It sure sounds like it, and we like it.


Apart from that, though, the Mach-E falls short on every aspect compared to a similar-priced Model Y. The Tesla has a longer range and better performance, but the Mach-E does have one thing on its side, at least in the US: the $7,500 federal tax credit.

Tesla sold enough EVs to graduate from the program and be left to fend on its own, but Ford's poor record in the segment will actually come in handy this time. All of a sudden, the Mach-E's 270 miles (434 km) of maximum range to Tesla's 316 (508 km) and its less than one second slower acceleration don't seem like that much of a problem when there's a $7,500 gap in the price.

If Ford does manage to iron out any manufacturing issues and deliver a solid product, the electric Mustang could indeed become a worthy competitor for the Model Y. The only problem, as far as we can tell, is the low production volume planned. But we guess Ford has to start somewhere, and this looks like a very promising place to do that.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Vlad Mitrache
Vlad Mitrache profile photo

"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories