Report 1 28/02/24 - Report 2 14/3/24 - Report 3 28/3/24
REPORT 3: THE THREE PIN PROBLEM (28th March 2024)
Mileage: 1544km
With our office in Auckland and my home in Hamilton, it's quite normal to see a fully charged EV down to 50 per cent by the time I rack up 130km and reverse into the garage. The Mustang Mach-E is similar, but better than many, with the standard drive resulting in at least 65 per cent remaining - plenty of power for Hamilton chores and school runs over the following days.
But I also need to plan for the 130km trip back to work's Wallbox charger, which is made a little harder by the fact the Mustang does not have an approved three-pin wall socket charger. It will still operate with an aftermarket charger, but one isn't officially approved.
Big deal, some will argue (some in the office, even), but for me, by the time I drive to the nearest fast charger, wait for the better part of an hour, and then return to home while losing another 5 per cent, it can get less convenient. But owners will have a home Wallbox, the chant goes - yes, but as Monty Python said, we're all individuals, and for me and my situation, the lack of a three-pin charger is worthy of a note, if nothing more.
Ford does however provide a Type 2 charging cable, which allows easier/cheaper home installation than a full on Wallbox-style charger (that we thankfully have at work) - and also public AC charging, which will also be either good or not depending on your own specific situation.
With the Mustang sitting at the airport for a few days last weekend, I arrived at the Auckland office with range back down to 50km, and the range indicator on the dash changing from green to orange, and its overall performance noticeably hobbled; plugging into our Wallbox at 7:30am resulted in a 100% charged estimate time of 7:30pm. So unless you're doing Hamilton to Auckland return on a daily basis, charging probably all works out fine in the Ford Mustang Mach-E.
- Dean Evans
REPORT 2: MEET THE FAMILY (14th March 2024)
Mileage: 905km
Our long-term Mustang Mach-E GT has been piling on the kays, thanks mainly to the super-commuting efforts of editor Dean Evans. But we've also had a contemplative moment with the car, when it met the Mustang GT RTR we reviewed recently. Coincidentally, in the same Grabber Blue colour.
It was reminder that even though the pure-electric Mach-E has been around a while, we still get plenty of comment from those who reckon it's not a "real" Mustang like the V8 fastback.
We're big fans of the Mach-E GT. It's a hugely entertaining car and we won't even taunt the haters by pointing out that it's the fastest factory Mustang you can buy. But more to the point, there's no need to feel threatened because this is Mustang reimagined as an electric SUV, not a replacement for the classic V8.
Which continues, of course, with an all-new seventh-generation model on the way this year. So don't be afraid: nobody's taking away the ICE Pony car just just yet. Meanwhile, the astonishing performance and wickedly entertaining handling of our Mach-E GT is providing plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, which is exactly what a Mustang is supposed to do.
- David Linklater
REPORT 1: INTRO AND FIRST IMPRESSIONS (28th February 2024)
Mileage: 25km
A new member has joined the DRIVEN stable, and it has some pedigree breeding as we saddle up. With those awful horsey puns dispensed with, we can officially welcome one of the stars of the 2023 motoring year to our DRIVEN garage, the 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT, in iconic and advertising-featured Grabber Blue Metallic.
Sitting at the top of the three-model range above the $74,990 RWD and the $104,990 AWD model, we’ve rounded up the headlining $116,990 GT; it’s significantly quicker than the AWD and packs more gear for the $12k premium, including 20in wheels, sports seats, MagneRide suspension and a bespoke GT bodykit.
While its headline-grabber as the fastest-accelerating production Mustang on sale may have an asterisk, “on sale” is the disclaimer, as the 2022 Mustang Shelby GT500 still holds the title, managing 0-60mph (96km/h) in 3.4 seconds; regardless it’s splitting horse hairs.
Recognising but putting aside the two strikes of it being both an EV and named a Mustang, two separate hate-crimes in some peoples’ eyes, this GT jumps from 0-100km/h in 3.7 seconds: that’s faster than a Ferrari F40 (4.3 seconds), and line-ball with the Porsche 959 (3.7s), which is also all-wheel drive. While those 1980s icons are a world apart from the 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT, there is some relevance to them being the ultimate supercars of their time, and reverence for never beating your heroes... or something like that.
It is very quick, and for $117k it would want to be, though that is including a recent $8k price drop making it a little more price-friendly. We sung its virtues with our test drive, including its fun and lively chassis that really makes it a driver’s car.
We loved the Mach-E so much, we also elected it as a top-three qualifier in both the AA DRIVEN EV class, and the outright top ten best in the Motoring Writers Guild NZ Car of the Years awards, citing its fit-for-purpose functionality as a practical, sporting SUV.
We’ll offer regular updates here over the next three months, and take betting on how many times it is admonished by observers for its EV status and badge. And try and avoid anyone named Sally.
- Dean Evans
What is the Ford Mustang Mach-E GT?
The pinnacle of Ford's electric Mustang Mach-E range, the $116,990 GT blends SUV practicality and brutal performance into one easy-to-live-with package.
Why are we running it?
To see if an EV that can bolt from 0 to 100km/h in 3.7 seconds can serve as a sensible daily driver.
