The Mustang Mach-E is the new fully electric vehicle (EV) from the Ford Motor Company. Unlike a hybrid which uses both a battery and an internal combustion engine, an EV relies solely on battery power to propel the vehicle.

Last week, I received an email from Ford inviting me to attend a preview of the Mustang Mach-E at my local Ford dealer, which is Flemington Ford, about a 15-minute car ride from home. I replied in the affirmative to the invite, scheduled for Monday November 16. My appointment time was 4 p.m., and I was advised to arrive at least 5 minutes early.

The day was sunny, if a bit windy and chilly, but fine if the event was to be out of doors. Walking toward the showroom at about 3:45, I saw two of the vehicles outside, and as I entered the sales area, spotted one on the floor. I checked in with Mike, he from “the Big D” (Dearborn) as he put it, whereupon he told me to take my time examining the car on display inside.

This car was a dark grey with a black interior, a somewhat dour color combo, but aside from that, I liked what I saw. The first thing to notice are the outside door handles. Each door has a round button above the belt line, about the size of a house doorbell. The doors unlatch electrically (no word on how you open a door if the battery is dead). I sat in the car and examined the two screens: a smaller one directly in front of the driver, and a large, tablet-like one in vertical format in the center. With the vehicle “off” there wasn’t too much to see there, so I got out and did several walkarounds, taking in as much detail as possible. Overall, I was impressed by various design details as well as the fit and finish.

Mike came over to answer any questions I had. Range? About 210 miles with the Standard Range batteries, and about 270 miles with the Extended Range batteries. Interior colors? Black or white, and one upholstery choice only, a “vegan leather” which looked and felt like high quality vinyl. Frunk? He popped open the front lid to show me that storage area. Availability? The cars here are production vehicles, so depending on whether you have an existing order or not, cars are on their way to customers, first come first served.

Next up was the test ride. Customers were not allowed to drive, but there were other FoMoCo employees on hand to take you for a ride. I met Joe, another corporate employee (actually a field guy), and we hopped into the white car outside. The very first impression one gets in an EV is the quiet. No engine sounds, no exhaust, no gears. There are no piped-in sounds either. Frankly, I expected there to be more tire noise than there was. Given that we were riding on 19”s, the ride was not only quiet, it was compliant and comfortable.

As he was driving, Joe was more than happy to show me the center screen, which apparently is “Sync 4”, Ford’s 4^th generation of its Sync infotainment system. Joe was scrolling up and down, swiping left and right, all while handling the wheel. I said “Wait! Show me how the driver controls the LIGHTS and the WIPERS.” Joe laughed and grabbed the left and right stalks hanging off the steering column. Thankfully Ford kept those controls where most drivers would be used to finding them.

I asked Joe about the infamous one-pedal driving that can be done on many EVs. He said that there is a way to turn that on and off in the center screen menu. He personally is not a fan of it, and he said when he drives he leaves it off.

We made a right turn onto a road with a long straightaway in front of us. Joe stopped, turned to the screen, and selected the most powerful of the three driving modes, cleverly named “unbridled” (get it?). He floored it, and except for the (lack of) noise, I felt like I was in a plane accelerating for takeoff. We got up to 60 and he backed off. Was it the fastest I’ve ever experienced 0-60? Not at all, but that’s not the point. The Mustang Mach-E has plenty of get-up-and-go when you want it, but just like a gas engine, you’re going to consume a lot of juice if you do that at every light change.

We got back to the dealer, I took a few more shots outside, and I meandered back into the showroom. There were three or four other groups of people folding themselves into and out of the various Mach-E models on display. I waited for a salesperson to approach me with a closing pitch, and perhaps was just a tad disappointed that none came. (The Flemington group of dealers is known for their low-pressure sales approach.) I thanked Mike and Joe and headed out.

Once I was home, I opened my access to the Ford AXZ plan (employee and retiree pricing), fully expecting that the Mach-E would be an excluded model, but it’s not! The employee pricing was right there on the screen. I’m not in the market for a vehicle right now, but I certainly have been weighing a pure EV as a possible future choice. The Mustang Mach-E just rose a few notches higher on that list.

All photographs copyright © 2020 Richard A. Reina. Photos may not be copied or reproduced without express written permission.