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VM Driving Report Ford E-Transit & Mustang Mach-E: Light and Shadow of the Electric Vehicles
Who would have thought until recently: At its latest roadshow with the current product lineup, Ford also featured combustion models, as Christian Weingärtner, since early February Managing Director for Ford DACH and Managing Director of Marketing and Sales at Ford-Werke GmbH, specifically emphasized. After all, as a manufacturer, they are on a "Road to electrification." They are going "all in" on electric. And the road to electrification looks like this:
- By 2026, they aim to offer at least one plug-in or fully electric model in every passenger car series.
- By 2030, the passenger car lineup will consist only of purely electrically driven
vehicles. - In the commercial vehicle sector, starting in 2024, all models will be offered either as fully electric versions or with plug-in hybrid drives. By 2030, electrified variants are expected to make up two-thirds of commercial vehicle sales.
By 2026, the newly established business unit "Ford Model e" aims to manufacture more than two million electric vehicles annually, about a third of Ford's global production. By 2030, this should reach half. To this end, they are investing around five billion US dollars in electromobility this year alone – a doubling compared to 2021. By 2026, total investments of 50 billion US dollars are planned solely for electrification.
From the hunted to the hunter: Petition for combustion engine phase-out from 2035
The news that Ford Europe, along with 27 companies, signed a petition to the European Union fits this narrative perfectly. The appeal calls for all new passenger cars and delivery vans in Europe to be emission-free from 2035 onwards, along with binding requirements for charging infrastructure.
"With their request, the companies point out that banning combustion engine vehicles from the road is essential for Europe to achieve its goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 and thus help avoid the worst impacts of climate change on people and the planet," the manufacturer puts it as drastically as it does realistically.
And so, alongside a few mild-hybrid Focus station wagons and Pumas, and two Mustang V8 beasts, the electric models were clearly in the spotlight. Their contrast couldn’t be greater: On one side, the electrified classic among transporters, the E-Transit, whose development in Europe and at Dunton, England, went ahead in the final phase over two years in "Corona" mode. And on the other side, the US-developed E-Crossover Mustang Mach-E, which recently received heavy criticism from Europeans for its harsh and rough suspension.
Update via the air interface should help
An over-the-air update with a refined suspension setup, incidentally more towing capacity and faster charging times above 80 percent, is expected to provide relief. According to the manufacturer, this will enable stronger ESC control during cornering and especially during evasive maneuvers. The springs and dampers of the suspension have been adjusted to significantly improve the balance and comfort of the vehicle, they announced. A recalibration of the one-pedal driving function will also ensure even smoother power delivery at lower speeds, further enhancing driving comfort.
Theory and Practice: Software is Not Hardware
Sounds good on paper, but it still doesn't ride quite smoothly. The Mustang's suspension remains on the "wooden" side and far from the smooth and harmonious "surfing" of a Tesla Model 3, VW ID.3, or Hyundai Ioniq. The "chassis" still feels a bit squishy during quick steering maneuvers, and the dampers react to manhole covers, cobblestones, or transverse joints with a rather rough rattling instead of smooth handling. It almost feels like there's a solid rear axle installed at the back, not independent suspension... Additionally, there's a tendency to sway and quickly wag the rear, which might be fun for a "Mustang" but feels rather "adolescent" for an 80,000-Euro electric family sedan. Just like the pronounced "rearing up" of the Mustang's front when the 351 horses (580 Nm) of the standard all-wheel-drive version with an 88 kWh battery are unleashed.
On the other end of the speed spectrum, the drive, which can be set to one-pedal driving in the menu, feels a bit jarring at slow speeds, with delicate maneuvering accompanied by subtle jerks and clicks, not really tragic, but there are smoother electric drives. Depending on the driving mode "Calm," "Active," or "Temperamental," acceleration is accompanied by more or less raucous sound, with suspension and tuning adjusted accordingly. However, the Mustang is never a soft ride, even in "Whisper" mode. On the plus side, the Mustang horses have a modest thirst: we averaged 18 kWh according to the onboard computer on a moderately driven city-highway loop with a few sprints.
Dashboard Tablet: The Monster Tablet on a Collision Course
Speaking of computers: the huge "dashboard" that Ford engineers have vertically placed in the not-so-spacious cabin, in opposition to Tesla, can make unpleasant contact with your knee during sharp cornering. You’d rather not think about an accident in such a scenario. The displays on the gigantically large tablet also seem exaggerated in size. At least a bar graph shows where the energy in the vehicle is going. For example, during our predecessors' 1,200-kilometer test, 11 percent went to air conditioning, 9 percent to some accessories (probably large-format smartphones), 6 percent to compensating for outside temperature, and only 74 percent for driving itself. That couldn't stay that way: turning off the air conditioning, switching on the ventilation, disconnecting the phone, and 92 percent of the energy went into driving and 0 percent into air conditioning.
A Basically Consistent Package
Overall, it's a shame that the E-Crossover, which is less SUV-like and high-rising and has a reasonably spacious, albeit somewhat "budget-like" detailed interior, makes such a blunder with its suspension. Perhaps that's why Ford Director Weingärtner emphasizes that at the Ford Electrification Center in Cologne (i.e., Europe), they are developing and building nothing less than a mid-sized, five-seater crossover with a WLTP range of 500 kilometers, whose name will be announced during the year. Additionally, a second Euro-model, an electric sport crossover, was announced. Hmm, isn't the Mach-E also a mid-sized, five-seater crossover or sport crossover with a 500-kilometer range? This can also be seen as an intercontinental vote of no confidence from the suspension experts in Cologne (and Dunton).
The E-Transit Seems Like It’s All of a Piece
The E-Transit, although in a completely different class and amusingly at the same price of about 80,000 Euros gross (base from 53,000 Euros net), shows what they are capable of. Despite our test car being unloaded, the completely new rear axle equipped with a compact electric drive derived from the Mach-E performed so well that one has to take off their hat. The comfort is sovereign even on rough surfaces, cobblestones, or potholes, with no rattling in the huge structure, and the vehicle has the typical precise steering of Ford. No trace of electric drivetrain jerks, it drives off completely noiselessly as if pushed by a ghost, moderately in Eco mode, emphatic in Normal mode.
Solid Traction in the E-Transit
Even without cargo, you can't get the wheels to spin with the richly equipped base version drive (always 430 Nm). The electronics control it dryly and quickly find grip. Additionally, the high-standing 3.5-ton box truck is impressively economical with 23 kWh/100 km according to the onboard computer over the same city-highway loop, which of course awaits further testing with ballast. The noise level is also pleasant: the E-Transit is so well insulated and encapsulated that one can easily slip over the 120 km/h mark on the highway, although that is not beneficial for the energy reserves in the 68 kWh batteries under the floor.
The E-Transit Is the Van the Commercial World Has Been Waiting For
110 km/h is a reasonable speed for this category of vehicle. It's nice and consistent that Ford offers all the driver assistance systems in the electric model as well, such as adaptive cruise control and active lane assist. With a 115 kW fast charger on board, even mid-range trips become plausible, which can be divided into approximately 250-kilometer stages. The official WLTP range of 317 kilometers seems realistic. The battery appears "right-sized" to also convince electric skeptics. And for those who want, the E-van can also be used as a power bank on the go: a carpenter working with wood on the test model said that after a day of tapping energy via 220-volt sockets (Pro Power) in the rear, only about 30 kilometers of range were lost.
After this second round in the electric van, it is clear: the E-Transit is the vehicle the commercial market has been waiting for and the first truly nearly fully practical contribution in the realm of large electric transporters, leaving behind any "DIY" or "retrofit charm" and appearing like it's all of a piece. If Ford adds a few handrails on the high rear and teaches the Sync4 infotainment (with a perfectly sufficient 12" horizontal screen) to talk or listen (I want to go home to Fürstenfeldbruck!), the package would be perfect.
Translated automatically from German.
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Elektromobilität , Newsletter Elektromobilität , IAA Mobility , SUVs und Geländewagen , Hybrid , Antriebsarten, Kraftstoffe und Emissionen , Oberklasse- und Sportwagen , Carsharing , Autonomes Fahren (Straßenverkehr) , Ladeinfrastruktur , Verkehrspolitik , Formel E , Brennstoffzellen , Fahrzeug-Vernetzung und -Kommunikation , Fahrzeuge & Fuhrpark , Automotive-Messen & Veranstaltungen , Pkw, Kompakt- und Mittelklasse , Minis und Kleinwagen , E-Auto-Datenbank, E-Mobilität-/Automotive-Newsletter, E-Auto-Tests
