auto

Electric vehicles (EVs) have taken the world by storm. Depending who you ask, they may tell you it was done by force. Others would argue it’s been largely driven by one man, Elon Musk, and his brand, Tesla. Sure, EVs existed before Musk’s time in the spotlight but the cold, hard truth is that they weren’t cool.

Today though, everyone wants a piece of the real world’s Tony Stark.

Although just about every single auto manufacturer has an EV roadmap, the first offerings out of the gate were rather lackluster. Many were based on economy cars and lack any cachet. Or they cost nearly $200,000 and are not realistic daily drivers since they deplete miles exceedingly fast. Frankly, the badges we all know, and love are struggling to compete against Tesla. Until now, that is.

Ford has mounted an attack in form of the all-new Mustang Mach-E. Controversial since its debut, many enthusiasts bemoaned the use of the Mustang nameplate for a sportutility vehicle. But it’s actually apt for a variety of reasons.

Most critically, Ford needed to bring something that represented performance and had instant brand recognition. Additionally, it had to fight fire — Tesla — with fire. It’s actually a genius play.

And though it boasts four doors and is an SUV, when you get a good look at the Mach-E you’ll note it has some Mustang-inspired cues. Take a closer look at things like the sharp headlights (image 1), the “hips” that are integrated into the rear fenders, the fastback-like roofline and the sculpted rear end (image 2). If you excuse the peculiar front grill on my Premium-trimmed test vehicle, there’s a lot to like about this design.

That’s because it’s bold and different. One thing I noticed: I don’t think there’s even one Ford badge on the outside. What you do get, however, is the Mustang logo (image 3).

You also get a tremendous amount of attention wherever you go. On a drive from New Jersey to Brooklyn, I was honked at, given the thumbs up, flagged down by pedestrians

and I had people in traffic rolling down their windows to strike up a conversation about the Mach-E. It’s a magnet for positivity.

Very rarely does a vehicle have this kind of impact on people.

Sliding behind the three-spoke steering wheel and getting more comfortable in the cabin, every occupant’s attention will be drawn to the 15.5-inch, portrait-layout infotainment screen located in the center of the dashboard. Ford is really gunning for Tesla with this move and, boy, it brought its “A” game. The software works wonderfully. It’s fast and it delivers an incredibly intuitive user experience — a rare treat in today’s autos. You don’t need a master’s degree in computer science to dive into this system.

Even better, rather than rely on this centrally located screen to display all of the vehicle information a la Tesla, Ford did something smart. Directly behind the steering wheel is a letterbox, 10-inch display that serves as your instrument panel. While it’s not customizable, it is a useful and welcome addition.

Elsewhere around the cockpit, you’ll note there’s usable room whether in front or back. Nice touches include the Bang & Olufsen sound system and the panoramic, fixed glass roof.

Of great importance though is the vehicle’s perceived build quality. Unlike the mainstream EVs that tend to feel like economy cars and Tesla’s suspect interiors, the MachE feels like a real luxury automobile. There’s a certain amount of substance to the touchpoints and, overall, every component felt solid. It even feels a step above what typically ships from Ford. Clearly, the automaker is paying attention to the small details with this specific product, and it shows.

What does take getting used to are the little things with an EV.

One would be wind noise. Although my vehicle was equipped with dual-pane glass on the front windows, at speed you’re going to hear wind. Overall, it’s not that bad, however, it does take getting used to as you do not have a motor blocking out that sound. The same can be said for the suspension, which seemed noisier over bumps than other EVs I’ve piloted.

And then there’s the charging. Simply put, if you’re expecting to juice up your ride with a 120-volt standard outlet, just stop reading now. If you want any EV, plan on working with an electrician to install 240-volt outlets or budget to have an EV-specific charger installed in your garage.

Now, driving the Mach-E.

My test vehicle was an all-wheel drive model fitted with the extended range battery — a “must have” option, in my opinion. The extended range variant in Premium trim is said to achieve 270 miles on a full charge but that wasn’t my experience. Even when letting the vehicle charge up to 100 percent of battery life, I couldn’t break more than 212 miles before even setting off.

Why? Well, during my testing the temperatures were in the mid-tohigh 30s. And low temperatures effect range when you’re dealing with EVs.

How bad, you ask? It can be quite significant. After starting the vehicle and setting home for a drive that was about 31 miles, the vehicle ripped through over 70 miles of range on a brisk evening. This gave me range anxiety as I was planning a drive from New Jersey to Brooklyn — over 100 miles, round trip.

On the day of my journey though it was 60 degrees, and I had no issues. In fact, the battery held onto significantly more range. For example, I had driven approximately 30 miles and only 10 miles came off the range. So, it takes a bit of getting used to and a sense of adventure.

The silver lining is that there is quite a bit of EV infrastructure (charging stations) built up these days but, frankly, I don’t have time to wait at a mall or some other random parking lot while my vehicle gets juiced up. Be 100 percent sure you want to take the plunge before you put an order in on any EV.

As the extended range variant has the larger, 88 kWh capacity, it’s quite zippy. That’s because it produces what equates to 346 horsepower and 428 lb.-ft. of instant torque. Zero to 60 happens in a quick 4.8 seconds, which is sports car fast.

Even better, when you toggle “one pedal driving” you don’t have to worry much about braking as the you can feather the throttle (Translation: Let your foot gently off the accelerator.) to bring the Mach-E to a controlled and smooth stop.

Over potholes and other imperfections, the Mach-E does a pretty good job at isolating passengers. But the suspension is on the firmer side, so, it’s not all roses as it can get bouncy at times. On the bright side, it can corner pretty well given the squat stance, and the weight from the batteries is located low and in between all four wheels.

While this Mustang’s steering feel is completely numbed out, Ford got the weighting just right. It’s confidence inspiring and feels sporting.

After spending a handful of days with the Mach-E, I came to one conclusion: This is a great product. Whether I was running errands around town, commuting at highway speed or sitting in traffic on the Cross-Bronx Expressway, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. And I was proud to drive it.

That’s not always the case with Ford’s vehicles. While it’s produced some amazing vehicles in recent years, it’s also missed on a few. There’s no question in this case, however. The all-new Mustang Mach-E is fantastic. It just needs more range to match up better against the latest Teslas.

If it were my money and I had to choose between the two, there’s no question, I’d be adding this Ford to my garage.■