Ford's EV Has a Name, and… It's the MUSTANG Mach-E

Maybe Corey was right. Despite sharing no architectural or mechanical DNA with the world’s first pony car, it seems Ford’s upcoming electric crossover — a vehicle Ford delights in calling “ Mustang-inspired” — will actually bear the Mustang name.

This isn’t some wild rumor, either. It comes straight from the Glass House. A four-door electric crossover will soon be the “newest member of the Mustang family.”

Slated for a Sunday reveal near the L.A. Auto Show, the Mustang Mach-E will appear wearing the nameplate’s iconic pony badge.

If this all sounds sacreligious — an affront to the Mustang’s heritage — you may not be the only one feeling that way. But Ford’s gonna do what Ford’s gonna do, and it’s in the company’s interests, at least as far as the Mach-E is concerned, to instill as much Mustang appeal into the Mach-E as possible. The automaker wants its first dedicated, ground-up EV to be a hit. Muscle and name recognition forms a big part of that strategy.

Expected to appear with three battery options in tow, the uppermost of which should propel the Mach-E over 300 miles per charge, the crossover’s athletic prowess is something the company’s talked up repeatedly. Rear- or all-wheel drive will be on offer, and it’s likely some owners will revel in performing emissions-free burnouts. Who knows — marketing materials showing exactly this feat could be under consideration.

As soon as the curtain drops in L.A., would-be buyers can start tossing $500 refundable deposits at the automaker to stake their place in line. There will be a limited run of First Edition models, Ford claims.

After creating a Ford account and selecting their preferred dealer, Mach-E fans in the U.S. and Europe will then have to wait until the ordering window opens sometime next year. Chinese buyers will have to wait a bit before making their reservation. As for the vehicle’s on-sale date, that remains the subject of much speculation.

Is the decision to apply the Mustang name to a completely non-Mustang vehicle the beginning of the end for the rear-drive pony car coupe? That’s what Corey suggested not too long ago. Certainly, the unexpected decision to actually call this thing a Mustang, and not simply the Mach-E, lends weight to these concerns.

Literally kill me now https://t.co/QPNSD8p5x4

— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) November 14, 2019

[Images: Ford]