Darling's Ford Warranty Administrator Kim Cotta shares her winter adventure with the All-New, All-Electric 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E!

The electric vehicle movement appears to be gaining a lot of traction lately. Every major vehicle manufacture has plans to, or has already produced fully electric models to compete with gas vehicles. The latest EV to enter the mix is the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E. It promises a range of between 211 - 300 miles (depending on model) and a starting price of $42,895 (before the potential $7,500 federal and $2,000 state credits). 

Having heard many current EV owners talk about how cold weather negatively impacts their battery performance, I was skeptical of how practical Ford's new electric SUV would actually be for Maine winter driving. So, what better way to test the Mach-E's winter capabilities than to take it on road trip from Bangor to Carrabassett Valley for a day of snowboarding at Sugarloaf Mountain? The 212 mile round trip with a quick stop at the DC fast charger in Skowhegan seemed doable. But I would be lying if I said that the freezing outside temps didn't make me a little nervous.

 

Darling's provided a 2021 Mustang Mach-E All-Wheel Drive Extended Range edition with an advertised range of 270 miles. The Infinite Blue Metallic Mach-E had a long list of features and a MSRP of $56,488 (before rebates/incentives).

The car had been parked inside a heated garage overnight while connected to the charger, so the battery was 100% charged and although it was only 12 degrees outside the display showed that I had 239 miles of range.  It is important to note that the driving history should be cleared in order to get a more accurate estimated range.  I also made sure to activate "one pedal mode". Driving in one pedal mode makes the best use of the regenerative braking and really helps with the range. It's also a lot more fun, and as someone who has driven with 3 pedals most of my life, I'm almost embarrassed to admit how much I like one pedal mode.

My snowboarding companions for the day where my big brother John, and 7 year old nephew Jay. The somewhat unconventional exterior door openers required surprisingly little explanation as they climbed excitedly into the Mustang. We loaded the rear hatch with our gear and made good use of all the cargo space the Mach-E had to offer.  Jay appeared to have plenty of room even with one side of the rear seat folded down to accommodate the length of our snowboards. Meanwhile John made himself comfortable in the front seat commenting on the beautiful tinted glass roof, while also glancing nervously at the range display.

The on-ramp to interstate 95 provided a good test of the acceleration that EV's are known for. Driving this car on the highway was a pure joy. There is virtually no road noise. The seating position is at just the right height, and the massive windows provide the driver with seemingly endless visibility. The standard driver's assistance features such as the lane assist, and adaptive cruise control are intuitive to use, and really help to cut down on driver fatigue.

As we parked at Sugarloaf the display showed 82 miles of charge remaining. We used the Mach-E as base camp to get changed into our gear. The space and functionality of the rear hatch and front trunk made this an easy task. As we walked away from the Mach-E excited to hit the trails, I heard the chirp of the horn confirming that the doors had locked. The locks are completely hands free, there are no buttons to push or door handles to touch, the car just locks when you walk away from it with the key in your pocket. I love this feature!

After a great day on Sugarloaf, it was time to load up and head back for home. The car had sat in the chilly parking lot for 5 hours, but the battery had not dropped at all. We drove to the DC fast charging station located at the Skowhegan Hannaford parking lot. The car showed 49 miles of range remaining, just shy of the 57 miles that we needed to get back home to Bangor. There are two ChargePoint fast chargers located at the end of a row of ten Tesla only superchargers. Activating the charge was actually quicker and easier than fueling at a gas station. I simply tapped my phone on the charger display and plugged the cord into the charge port on the side of the Mustang.

 

Our snowboarding adventure with the Mach-E has completely put to rest all of my cold weather electric range concerns. We made no effort to conserve battery power while driving in 12 degree weather with the climate control set to 70 degrees and our heated seats on. One quick 15 minute stop at the fast charger would have been plenty to complete our trip. 


Over all what struck me the most about the Mustang Mach-E was how effortless it was to drive.  Never have I operated a vehicle that had so much technology, yet was so intuitive to use. The average smart phone user would have no trouble accessing all the features of the navigation, climate control, and audio systems using the thoughtfully designed touch screen.

 

The exterior of the Mach-E turns heads for all the right reasons. It is modern and sporty looking enough to attract attention, without being too futuristic or weird. The interior is refreshingly uncluttered and free of unnecessary buttons thanks to the large touch screen.  The overall fit, finish, and quality of materials are exactly what I would expect from a luxury vehicle. It is simply a beautifully designed, well-constructed all-wheel drive SUV that just so happens to also save lots of money in fuel and maintenance costs by being all electric. 


-Kim Cotta