AS Ford raises its game to meet the threat of Tesla and other EV automakers with the launch of its electric Mustang, the company reports it has sold out of First Edition models.
The company has said that all reservations for the First Edition model are now taken.
Ford revealed the electric version of the Mustang, with its separate styling from the current pony car, at the Los Angeles Motor Show (Nov 21-Dec 01) (pictured above with its petrol stablemate).
It announced a special First Edition model which features extended-range and four-wheel drive, plus special red brake calipers, obligatory First Edition badging, metallic pedal covers and seats featuring contrasting stitching.
In Europe the First Edition features a full panorama roof, B&O 10-speaker sound system and intelligent driver assist technologies, and the exclusive Grabber Blue Metallic body colour.
Interested customers could place a $500 reservation fee for the car – this allocation is now taken for the electric Mustang which should hit the road in 2020.
While the First Edition model is fully reserved, Premium edition and GT models are still available for pre-order.
Ford said that the reservations bank revealed the following key facts:
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2021 Mustang Mach-E First Edition reservations are full
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Carbonized Gray has been the most popular choice at 38%, with Grabber Blue Metallic 35% and Rapid Red at 27%
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More than 80% of US customers are reserving Mach-E are opting for the Extended Range Battery
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About 55% are opting for all-wheel drive
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Almost 30% of US customers are choosing the Mach-E GT
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More than a quarter of all reservations are coming from California
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Prices for Europe are expected to start at £40,270
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Range will be 370 miles on a single charge
The demand for the Mustang demonstrates the pent-up demand for electric cars. In August, for example, the Tesla Model 3 was the third most registered vehicle in the UK according to SMMT stats. It even outsold the Ford Focus.
By end November 2019, battery electric vehicles accounted for 1.5% of the UK market at 32,911 registrations.
Harminder Singh, director of power at leading data and analytics company GlobalData, said that the rise of EVs would be one of the key trends of 2020.
He commented:
“The adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is set to continue on the steep trajectory witnessed in the last few years. The global EV fleet, which stood at over 5.1 million in 2018, is expected to reach around 130 million by 2030 as per International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts.
“Governments across the world are setting targets for deployments of EVs and these policy signals are encouraging industry stakeholders to invest across the EV supply chain.
“In addition, large power utilities such as EDF, E.ON and Enel in Europe have been investing in EV charging station infrastructure, and this market is witnessing consolidation – a trend that is expected to continue.
“Increasingly, power utilities are collaborating with EV manufacturers to boost their offerings in areas such as EV charging, vehicle-to-grid (V2G) services, energy storage and renewable energy sources. Oil majors such as Shell, BP and Total are also placing huge bets in this market through acquisitions.”
Stuart Rowley, president, Ford of Europe, added:
“The Mustang Mach-E is one of the most exciting vehicles Ford has ever introduced. This purpose-built all-electric vehicle is unique, but still unmistakably a Mustang, and it’s coming at exactly the right time for customers in Europe.”
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