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Most Ford Mustang Mach-E reservation holders go for extended-range battery

2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E and 2020 Ford Mustang
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Ford Mustang Mach-E is one of the most anticipated new cars of the upcoming year. Treated to a glitzy unveiling at the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show, the First Edition of the new electric car sold out in a matter of days. Now we have more information on what the first production cars will look like, and when they will arrive.

The Mach-E First Edition was listed as sold out on Ford’s website by the end of November — shortly after order books opened November 18. Ford finally confirmed that reservations for the First Edition are full, without saying how many First Edition cars it plans to build. Customers can still place reservations for other models. However, as the name implies, First Edition models will roll off the assembly line and into customers’ driveways first.

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Ford also released some details about customer preferences. So far, more than 80 percent of reservation holders have chosen the Extended Range battery pack, according to Ford. This is a 98.8-kilowatt-hour battery pack that will afford 300 miles of range with rear-wheel drive, or 270 miles with all-wheel drive, Ford estimates. The standard battery pack has a capacity of 75.7 kWh, allowing for 230 miles of range with rear-wheel drive, or 210 miles with all-wheel drive, according to Ford. About 55% of reservation holders have opted for all-wheel drive, Ford said.

Alongside the First Edition, Ford will offer the Mach-E in Select, Premium, California Route 1, and GT guises. The GT is the sportiest version, and almost 35 percent of United States reservation holders have chosen it so far, according to Ford. The GT boasts 459 horsepower and 612 pound-feet of torque, compared to 332 hp and 417 lb-ft for other Mach-E variants. Ford claims this will translate to zero to 60 mph in the mid-4.0 second range, but the company is also planning a Performance Edition that should shave about a second off that time. Range is estimated at around 235 miles.

Ford noted that more than a quarter of all Mach-E reservations are coming from California. That isn’t surprising, giving Californians’ enthusiasm for electric cars, robust charging infrastructure, and friendly government policies. Carbonized Gray is the most popular color so far, with about 38% of reservation holders choosing it, according to Ford. Grabber Blue Metallic (35%) and Rapid Red (27%), are the second and third most popular color choices, respectively.

Now that Ford has racked up a few reservations, it needs to get the Mach-E into production. The Blue Oval hasn’t offered many details on delivery timing, but a forum post spotted by Motor1 sheds some light. Sourced from a Ford dealer in Colorado, it shows that dealers will begin reaching out to customers to convert reservations into firm orders in Spring 2020. Mach-E production will begin in Fall 2020, with the first deliveries scheduled for Winter 2020 and early 2021, according to the post. That means First Edition buyers could get their cars before 2020 is out, but other customers may have to wait a full year for delivery.

Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
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