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By Jake Lingeman
Managing Editor
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The Ford Mustang Mach-E was one of the first battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) on the market from a mainstream automaker. Now, it's old enough for a mid-generation refresh.
For 2024, Ford updated the electric SUV to better compete with some new and old rivals. It's not the first update. There have been incremental changes along the way to refine certain aspects of the car, most done via over-the-air updates via the Mustang Mach-E's infotainment system.
New for 2024, all Mustang Mach-Es come with more standard features and can charge faster, up to 20 percent faster in some models. They also have more all-electric range.
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The standard-range battery, rear-wheel drive version of the car ($48,990 including destination for the Premium trim) tested here can now go up to 250 miles on a full charge, up from 230.
The extended-range Mustang Mach-E and Mustang Mach-E GT get 20 and 10 more miles of range, respectively.
Mustang Mach-E GT also gets more torque when optioned with the Performance Upgrade, helping it get from zero to 60 miles per hour (mph) in 3.3 seconds, which is faster than the electric Porsche Macan.
A key difference maker for some buyers may be that the 2024 version of the car does not qualify for federal tax incentives when purchased outright. However, lessees can get a $7,500 rebate.
With or without the rebate, its base price is lower than before. Mustang Mach-E now starts at $42,995, which puts it close to the competition. The Volkswagen ID.4, for instance, is $38,995 with a range of 206 miles and the Nissan Ariya is $39,590 with a range of 205 miles. The top-selling Tesla Model Y costs $44,630 and has a range of 260 miles.
Though range is like a big deal for many American buyers, it's just a piece of the EV puzzle. In a week with the 250-mile Mach-E it was used more than average with a few family events and seven days later still had about 90 miles left in the battery with use in mixed driving conditions (city, highway and suburban areas).
With a home charger, which most BEV buyers have, that type of daily driver use would never be an issue. Without, it does take a little more planning.
Even this tester, the least powerful 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E, accelerates quickly on the road. It only creates 264 horsepower (hp) but 387 pound-feet (lb-ft) of torque, which is available at any speed, provides the oomph to get it off the line in a jiffy.
Takeoffs are quick, but that torque also helps when passing or maneuvering on the expressway. The Mach-E has drive modes called Whisper, Engage and Unbridled, corresponding to economical, normal and sport settings, respectively. The modes change the steering feel and vehicle sounds. On modles with adaptive shocks, the softness of the suspension also changes.
The brakes are not changed depending on drive mode, and though they're not often needed due to several levels of regenerative braking and one-pedal driving, they ideally should feel firm and progressive.
In practice, the Mustang Mach-E's brake pedal dips a little farther than is comfortable in panic-inducing traffic situations, something I never got used to even after being behind the wheel for a week. Though that type of glide is not out of the ordinary for EVs, Ford should do better. Other automakers have.
Like all BEVs, the weight is set low in the body making the vehicle feel more planted than a gas-powered counterpart of similar size. Mustang Mach-E thuds calmly over most potholes and rolls over the rest. Even on dirt roads the bounciness is kept in check over dips and bumps. And, all of that noise and harshness is kept out of the insulated cabin.
That cabin is centered around the Mach-E's portrait-oriented touchscreen infotainment system with an integrated physical volume knob. The screen includes almost every function including climate. The climate controls have a permanent place on the screen (along with navigation and most recently used Ford features) regardless of whether Apple CarPlay or anything else is running. With app mirroring, the large screen can show more icons than the usual eight for Apple, which also adds to the convenience.
The driver gets a smaller digital driver cluster behind the wheel with speed, range and other information.
The seats are wide and soft with good height adjustment but no side bolstering in the Mach-E Premium RWD trim level. Mustang Mach-E GT and Rally versions get sportier seats with more support for high-speed corners.
The dash skips soft plastic and leather in favor of a nylon-like fabric that looks fresh and modern. The rear seats are expectedly wide with plenty of space for people and cargo, if necessary they fold down. The seatbelts are also easy to manage for young children.
The truck is just a cubic foot smaller than the Tesla Model Y's at about 29 cubic feet. With the rear seats folded down the Mustang has about 60 cubic feet, which is more than expected with the sloping rear roof area. As with most EVs, the Mach-E also has a front storage area, this one is 4.7 cubic feet, enough for a medium duffel bag or cooler.
The Ford CoPilot 360 branded suite of driver assist and safety technology comes standard on the Mustang Mach-E and includes lane keeping, steering assist, blind spot indicators, rearview camera and adaptive cruise control.
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Ford's provided tester also included Blue Cruise, Ford's hands-free, eyes-up advanced driver assistance system and it works well. Like GM's Super Cruise it only works on pre-mapped roads, but those have now grown to hundreds of thousands of miles in the U.S.
The system is excellent at staying centered in the lane and keeping close enough to the car in front not to let traffic scoot in. Also like Super Cruise, the Ford system beeps and flashes when the driver needs to take back over. It's an easy-to-use system, if you're willing to trust it.
This lower-priced, rear-wheel drive, 250-mile Ford Mustang Mach-E was the perfect, emissions-free transportation for a week and the mileage was never a concern because, like most Americans, the vehicle was driven about 30 miles per day. Even at the lower power level it feels quicker than most vehicles on the road and the handling, like all EVs, is better than a competing gasoline-powered vehicle because of the weight distribution.
All things considered the Ford a better value than the competing Nissan or Volkswagen, but the Model Y is extremely popular and one of the best-selling EVs today. That doesn't necessarily mean it's better though. Now that the Tesla Supercharger network is available to Ford customers (with an adapter), the race is on.
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