Electric car fans all over the world were on edge late last year and into 2024, when demand for EVs appeared to slump. More recently, news of a dive in sales for industry leader Tesla has dominated the headlines while other automakers appear to be doing okay. Apparently, Ford has spotted an angle, because it has been laying plans to juice interest in the Mach-E by appealing to drivers who enjoy the feel of driving, rather than watching their car drive itself.
The company also let slip some details about performance, noting that “the 2024 Mustang Mach-E hits 0–60 in 3.3 seconds and quarter mile in 11.8 seconds at 114 mph, when equipped with the new Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Upgrade. “Mustang Mach-E Rally 1 is electric vehicle technology applied to an entirely untapped white space, expanding the Mustang Mach-E family,” added Ford. Emphasizing the handling throughout, Ford cited the “first-ever RallySport Drive Mode 6 from Ford, which is designed for off-road driving and adapts electronic control systems to allow bigger slides, a linear throttle response for better control, and more aggressive damping for better handling in loose corners.
Conspicuously absent from the public relations push is any mention of the car behaving autonomously, though the Mach-E line in fact does sport Ford’s new “BlueCruise” hands-free feature.reviewed BlueCruise last fall and described it as an advanced form of cruise control or “active driving assistance” system to control speed and lane centering. The system is only activated for use on designated limited-access highways, where complications like traffic signals and pedestrians are absent.