American muscle dominates the Woodward Dream Cruise, but Ford used that backdrop to host a panel discussion about their electric vehicle push.
Hosted by Autoline’s John McElroy, the discussion covered a number of topics and Ford’s General Manager of Battery Electric Vehicles, Darren Palmer, used the event to reveal the company is focused on creating “compelling” EVs that people want to own.
We’re already starting to see this as Palmer pointed to the Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition, which has a dual motor powertrain that produces 480 hp (358 kW / 487 PS) and 634 lb-ft (860 Nm) of torque. It enables the model to rocket from 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 3.5 seconds, which is even faster than the Mustang Mach 1.
Driven: The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E Isn’t A One-Trick Pony
However, the company isn’t relying exclusively on performance to win customers over. In particular, officials noted business and fleet customers are excited about the E-Transit as it can significantly lower their operating costs. As the automaker explained earlier this year, “scheduled maintenance costs over eight years/100,000 miles are projected to be 40 percent less than … the gas-powered Transit.” Those savings are “expected from day one” and they’ll add up for large fleets.
In the case of the F-150 Lightning, it has broad appeal and a starting price of $39,974. It’s already shaping up to be a hit as Ford has already received 120,000 reservations for the pickup.
While range anxiety dominated discussions about early electric vehicles, Ford believes the problem has effectively been solved as the Mustang Mach-E offers a range of up to 305 miles (491 km). Officials also noted ‘filling up’ at home eliminates the hassles of having to stop and get gas.
Long trips remain an issue, but high-speed charging stations are becoming more prevalent. This means a relatively short 10-20 minute stop can get you back on the road. Furthermore, you can plan charging into your life, and potentially recharge while grabbing a coffee or shopping for groceries.
Speaking of charging stations, Ford discovered a problem with a certain charging network and asked them if the issue could be fixed in a few days. Unfortunately, the network suggested it could take months to address as they never kept track of which chargers were installed at their various charging stations. However, thanks to the ingenious idea of using AI to identify the problematic chargers from photos uploaded to PlugShare, the companies were able to locate many of them and get the issue fixed in days rather than months.
Ford also used the opportunity to plug the FordPass Charging Network, which consists of more than 16,000 public charging stations across North America. While the company doesn’t have its own charging network like Tesla, the service streamlines the otherwise messy charging experience as owners don’t have to sign up for multiple charging networks. It’s also worth mentioning the Mach-E has a Plug & Charge capability at Electrify America stations, where all you need to do is plug-in and tap a few buttons on the charger.
