Page 98 - Car South Africa (February 2020)

tech
1 Exterior
At the reveal of the Mach-E,
Ford’s designers went to
extreme lengths to show how much
traditional Mustang DNA has made
its way into the design of the Mach-E.
This includes the long nose, sculpted
bonnet, muscular haunches and those
iconic rear lights.
96 CAR FEBRUARY 2020 CARmag.co.za
all-electric Ford was not always a 3 Drivetrain
Mustang. That decision came late in the
programme and the designers had to
quickly adapt their initial concept.
The low drag-coefficient requirement
to help extend the driving range of an
EV led to the deletion of traditional door
handles. Instead, you gain access by
pressing a button on the B- or C-pillars
of the vehicle. The relevant door pops
open an inch to allow the person to grab
the door frame. If all else fails, there is
the option of an electronic keypad on
the B-pillar where a combination can be
entered to unlock the vehicle. The result
I was more interested in the virtual is a drag coefficient of 0,30, which is low The basic layout of
reality (VR) used in the design process. for anSUV. the battery pack and
Traditional clay models take a long electric motors follows the
time to create and shape, whereas Doors open by trend in the electric SUV
VR, combined with computer-aided category with the option of an
models, can give designers a fast way pressing a button electric motor on each axle
to evaluate the effect of adjustments. on the pillars and the battery pack housed in
This was needed because the the floor between. The Mach-E
is available with a 210 kW
motor on the rear axle for the
rear-wheel-drive derivative
and adds a 50 kW unit on the
all-wheel-drive version. The
sporty GT version gets two
210 kW electric motors and
Ford claims a 0-100 km/h time
in the four-second bracket. A
single-speed reduction gear is
used on each axle, plus open
differentials. Torque-vectoring
per wheel is achieved via the
braking system.
Ford was adamant to
achieve a “Mustang driving
feel” in the Mach-E and
employed its driving simulator,
used for racing, to fast track
2 Interior the dynamic calibration to
deliver driving enjoyment. A
Again, the interior is designed driver (connected to their profile) quick spin as a passenger in
withtraditional Mustang cuesin and proposes information on these the mid-spec model revealed
mind… exceptforone major element: tiles during a journey. For example, it is indeed racy, with a scalpel-
that(Tesla-inspired?) 15,5-inch if the driver calls their partner every sharp acceleration response.
touchscreen. Itfeaturesthe latest day when driving home, this option Three driver modes are
versionofSync software and the becomes available on one of the tiles. calibrated, from “whisper”
screen sizeenabledFord to minimise The interior space, especially at to “unbridled”, where a
menus. Mostoptions are immediately the rear, is class-leading for its size strong V8 soundtrack is
availableorjust one click away. and head clearance is assured by the piped through the speakers
Smartphonefunctionalityis stepped black roof which is nicely to enhance the experience.
combinedwith artificial intelligence hidden to preserve the coupé-like Regenerative braking can be
wherethe most frequently used styling. There is boot space front and set by the driver and allows
functionsare stored on six tiles. The rear: the front stowage area comes near-single-pedal driving in
vehiclelearnsthe behaviour ofthe with a drain plug so it can be rinsed. its strongest setting.