Ford starts taking pre-orders for Mustang Mach-E in China
Ford has launched pre-orders for its Mustang Mach-E in China. The electric model is now available in China at prices ranging from 265,000 to 379,900 yuan (currently equivalent to approximately 33,900 to 48,500 euros).
The Mach-E, which is produced by joint venture partner Changan, is now available for pre-order in China with rear-wheel drive with a small or large battery (Standard Range Base RWD or Extended Range Premium RWD) and as a four-wheel-drive version with a large battery (Extented Range Premium AWD). In addition, there is the limited debut edition GT First Edition. According to Ford, the range of the quartet is between 470 and 600 kilometres. The GT version sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in under four seconds. The other variants are somewhat slower: the AWD version needs five seconds, the RWD duo seven seconds.
Parallel to the order launch, Ford announces the creation of a BEV division for research and development, production and distribution of its electric cars in the country. The Mustang Mach-E is the first product to be the responsibility of this new division. The model will be sold via direct sales network initially in 20 major cities. “Using existing dealer resources”, the purchase can be made purely online, according to the American carmaker.
Ford is also bringing new charging partners on board for the China business. Owners of the Mustang Mach-E will be able to access over 300,000 public charging points from state energy giant State Grid in more than 340 cities, including 160,000 fast-charging points, via an app, according to an accompanying statement. In addition, buyers of the Mach-E will have access to Nio’s nationwide fast-charging network.
Meanwhile, the e-SUV, produced locally in China, will have some special features compared to the US version. For example, Ford announced a few weeks ago that the Mach-E rolling off the production line at the Changan plant will be two and a half centimetres longer (4,739 instead of 4,713 mm) with an identical wheelbase. The US carmaker also announced that the model will offer Chinese customers over-the-air updates and an intelligent cockpit. Specifically mentioned were the Ford Co-Pilot360 driving assistance package and the smart SYNC+ infotainment system.
In addition, the Mach-E will be available in China with autonomy level 2+, which enables semi-autonomous driving on motorways. Cellular V2X, a communication standard for traffic networking, is also on board. It enables the exchange between road users and infrastructure as well as communication via mobile phone networks. Ford claims to be the first car manufacturer in China to offer C-V2X technology in series-production vehicles.
In the meantime, the American carmaking giant has announced that they will also manufacture the GT model of the Mustang Mach-E locally in China. In Europe, the high-end vehicle is to be introduced at the end of 2021 and, according to the latest information, will produce 359 kW – up until now there was always talk of 342 kW.
Deliveries of the regular Mach-E started in the US home market at the end of 2020 but got off to a very slow start in the face of apparent problems with additional quality testing. The market launch in Europe is set for “early 2021”. So far, however, Ford has not publicised the start of deliveries in Europe to the media. In Germany, prices for the electric SUV start at 46,900 euros before Germany’s ‘environmental bonus’ subsidy – to make use of this subsidy, there is the variant with a small battery and rear-wheel drive. With the large battery, the Mustang Mach-E is available from 54,475 euros.
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