Ford Mustang Mach-E to gain new features with wireless updates

Ford has detailed a new over-the-air update system that will continue to enhance its Mach-E electric crossover over the course of its life. 

The wireless software tweaks can be made anywhere and are said to be 'virtually invisible' to Mach-E owners, taking less than two minutes in some cases. Complex updates that require more downtime can be scheduled for a convenient time, such as the middle of the night.

Ford expects the first round of over-the-air updates to be rolled out to Mach-E owners within six months of the first customer deliveries. Owners will be notified of the available update, which can then be activated using a wi-fi or cellular connection.

Pricing

The entry-level standard-range rear-wheel-drive Mach-E is priced from £40,270. It promises a "target range" of 280 miles from its 76kWh battery and puts out 254bhp. The extended-range version is £9730 extra and has a 99kWh battery pack for a 370-mile quoted range and a power output of 281bhp.

That price places this extended-range Mach-E just below the £50k threshold necessary to qualify for the £3000 government plug-in car grant. 

The all-wheel-drive model starts from £46,750. With the 76kWh battery, its quoted range is reduced to 260 miles. The extended-range four-wheel-drive version starts from £56,950, with a 335-mile quoted range and a power boost to 332bhp. Pre-orders are being taken now, with a recommended deposit of £1000. 

Design, platform and powertrain

The Mach-E is Ford’s first volume-production battery-electric vehicle and the flagship for the launch of 18 mild- and full-hybrid new models scheduled to arrive by the end of 2021.

The Tesla Model Y rival is the first production car to emerge from Ford’s Team Edison, a 70-strong Detroit group tasked with designing the firm’s next-generation EVs. At launch. the range-topping version will produce 332bhp, with a full GT model making around 459bhp due at a later date.

Murat Gueler, Ford’s Europe design chief, said the aim was to create “something special that stands out from the crowd”, describing the new machine as “an EV with soul”.

The new electric car has taken the Mustang title as the first step in expanding the nameplate into a full model line. The Mach-E moniker is inspired by the Mach 1 variant of the first-gen Mustang.

The Mach-E UK order book is understood to be “healthy” and buyers who have expressed an interest will be locked into deals this summer, with many expected to be on the list for the high-spec First Edition models, limited to 10,000 units globally.