Photography by ©2022 Toni Jackson
The number of electric cars I’ve tested is, well, low. But the number of Ford products and in particular Mustangs, is up there. I figured, why not give something totally new a try. Something different than my normal but still familiar. Thus, the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E California Route 1 RWD arrived on my driveway.
Powered by a fully electric motor producing 290 HP and 317 lb-ft of torque, the top range is 305 miles getting a total of 108 city, 94 highway, and 101 combined MPGe. Battery charge time is a big deal for electric cars and I found that this Mach-e will charge from 30-40% to about 85% in around 30 minutes, which gives plenty of range to continue your errands in and around town.
The Mach-E offers a lot in terms of comfort and convenience. The interior is really nicely appointed and provides comfortable seats for long or short distance commuting. It’s super quiet inside the Mach-E, as to be expected, while you can turn on Unbridled mode for some added V8 sounds.
The Tesla-like tablet that controls most everything in the vehicle is easy to use and navigate and offers CarPlay of course for even more ease of use. It’s a nice touch that Ford kept a lot of the common buttons and dials that non-electric cars have to keep it a little bit normal-feeling while also adding the electric-car feel with the large screen.
The different drive modes really do offer a difference in performance and noise. Unbridled mode is definitely fun but when driving on the highway, the quieter the better for me personally.
The timing of my loan lined up perfectly with a local autocross weekend. I of course couldn’t pass up seeing if the Mach-E was at all sporty, or just another electric car. Well, to my surprise, the RWD version definitely has some Mustang DNA. The car rotated and performed like a much smaller vehicle and really didn’t seem bothered by anything we asked it to do. Unfortunately, you can’t turn “everything” off, but you can turn off traction control. That did allow us to experience quite a bit of oversteer. I was impressed and surprised with how fun the Mach-E was on the autocross. And other huge advantage I saw was that the mileage never dipped much at all, even after several hard runs. I’d be curious to see how/if that changes on track. These would definitely be fun in a track day series like ones I’ve seen for Tesla owners.
I actually asked to increase my loan time with the Mach-E as it’s a really great around town car. It’s comfortable, and great to look at, yet familiar enough that I know I’m driving a Ford product. While I’m still not sold on owning an electric car for myself, I’d definitely recommend the Mach-E for anyone that is.
2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E California Route 1 RWD:
Base Price: $49,800
Options:
Star White Metallic Trim-coat ($600)
Destination Charge: $1,100
Total Price: $51,500
Fuel Economy: 108 City, 94 Highway, 101 MPGe Combined
GirlsDriveFastToo gives the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E California Route 1 RWD an overall rating of (out of 5 total):
