Mustang Mach-E spearheads Ford's charge to capture EV market share

Ford's all-electric Mustang Mach-E SUV made its European debut at the US car firm's ‘Go Electric' marketing event in London's Marble Arch yesterday, as the auto giant advances plans to electrify all the future passenger vehicles it brings to market.

The Mustang Mach-E has a driving range of more than 370 miles under WLTP regulations, the firm said, and is estimated to charge from 10 percent to 80 percent in 38 minutes on a DC fast-charging station. It leads an expanding field of Ford electrified vehicles, with 14 set to be on sale before the end of 2020, growing to 18 by the end of 2021. Globally, Ford is investing $11bn to electrify its vehicles, the firm said, utilising a range of powertrain technologies in doing so, including 48-volt mild hybrid, full hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and all-electric.

All-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles will be backed by a Ford Charging Solutions "ecosystem", the firm added, announcing plans to install 1000 charging stations at Ford facilities across Europe over the next three years. Mustang Mach-E customers placing a reservation in 2020 will receive a free one‑year subscription to the FordPass app, the firm said.

Ford Europe President Stuart Rowley called on local authorities to support the push for electrification with faster expansion of public charging infrastructure.

"Infrastructure is critical to helping consumers have the confidence to go electric, but we can't do it on our own. Accelerated investment by all the key stakeholders across the U.K. and Europe is more important than ever," Rowley said.

Ford's investment in car electrification reflects shifting consumer attitudes towards electric vehicles, with research commissioned by Ford last year finding that three-quarters of people aspire to own an electrified vehicle at some point in the future. This figure mirrors that of a more recent survey commissioned by Tonik Energy, which also found that 75 per cent of respondents expected to rely on an electric vehicle int the future.

Ford's research also found that 45 per cent of people cited not stopping for fuel as a key benefit of owning an electric vehicle. However, 40 per cent of respondents told researchers, from consultancy PSB, that they had little or no knowledge of electric vehicles, while a further 49 per cent ranked a lack of charging stations among their biggest concerns about owning an electric vehicle.

Earlier this year, Ford announced a €24 million investment to support the company's electrification strategy with a state-of-the-art battery assembly facility at its manufacturing plant in Valencia, Spain.

The plant will feature two new assembly lines to allow the production of lithium-ion batteries used in new Kuga Plug-In Hybrid, Kuga Hybrid, Galaxy Hybrid and S-MAX Hybrid models to take place alongside the vehicles themselves, enabling greater manufacturing efficiency and sustainability, Ford said. The facility will begin operations in September this year.

Among the 18 electrified vehicles Ford has announced for European customers before the end of 2021 are the Puma EcoBoost Hybrid, the Mondeo Hybrid, the Galaxy Hybrid, the Transit EcoBlue Hybrid, and an all-electric Transit van.

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