Before Ford’s all-electric Mach-E became a member of the Mustang family, it was a futuristic-looking concept that Ford executives were convinced it wouldn’t sell. With high ceilings and a forgettable face, the design of the supposed all-electric vehicle has become an impasse for management. The engineers were sent back to the drawing board to create something more memorable, but for a while, there was nothing Mustang about it.
The project started in May 2017. According to the Detroit Free Press, the Mustang Mach-E had been in development for some time and its original purpose was not to create a brand icon, but to create a vehicle that simply helped meet government fuel economy goals. But all that would change when Ford executives took a look at what the designers had been doing.
Jim Farley, who was not yet Ford’s CEO when the initial concept was revealed, immediately noticed a problem with the design. “When I first saw it … I said, ‘Oh, man. Houston, we have a problem.'” He went on to call the whole package “a science project” and with the blessing of then CEO Jim Hackett , sent the engineers back to the drawing board.
Farley was credited by other Ford executives as “instrumental” for the inclusion of Mach-E in the Mustang family. It was he, according to the tradition behind the project, who decided to use the Mustang as a spiritual guide star – inspiration – for Mach-E. Design concepts were elaborated according to the information that showed more and less influence of the Mustang until a suitable compromise was found.
The final product was presented at the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show and, while maintaining the proportions of a crossover, it now had much more soul.
To begin with, the wheelbase has been extended, maintaining the total length of the vehicle. The Tesla-style front bumper grew taller, adding Ford’s shark nose to the package. Then the A-pillar was pulled back, giving the concept a more contemporary look, while the roof line was closer to the Mustang product line, giving it a more sporty look. It only made sense to add the Mustang dashboard’s side hips above each rear wheel, and the chef’s kiss was the Mustang’s taillights with three bars to complete the rear look.
The Mach-E Mustang as we know it today has become much more than just a zero-emission family truck. In fact, Ford’s decision to add it to the Mustang family of vehicles should speak volumes about the direction of the brand as a whole. And while it may not be a Mustang in the sense of a sports car (or is it?), It is a Mustang in terms of importance to the brand.
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