The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E has been making news since it was in pre-production. At first, we knew from press releases and first reveals that the tech would be dominant in such a future-forward vehicle, but the actual usage of technology in the Mach-E is far more wide-reaching than it first appeared. For those who love the old days when vehicles were entirely analog mechanical transport, the Mach-E must be their worst nightmare. On the flip side, the brave drivers willing to enjoy the freedom technology allows may find themselves living in a dream.
Reviews of how the 2021 Mach-E drives are generally positive, particularly when someone gets to drive the GT Performance Edition that can go from zero to 60 in 3.5 seconds. Getting your head plastered to the back of your sport seat is exhilarating enough when you have powerful gas engines, but the silent stealth of electric engines gives this experience a whole new kind of fun. People seem to be impressed with the overall appearance of the Mach-E, including the luxurious interior that Ford delivers well in many of its vehicles. Perhaps all this performance and glitz were surprising because of the low expectations people have about electric vehicles, but the tech is where the Mach-E really takes the cake. The 2021 Mach-E personalizes most of the experience for each driver, and it promises a lot more to come with future updates that will increase the intuitiveness and capability of Ford’s newest SUV.
Smartphone Connectivity As More Than Entertainment
While most car manufacturers are including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as a standard feature, Ford makes this seem like a “gimme” in comparison to the plethora of tech that goes far beyond just pairing your smartphone to the infotainment system. Ford provides this feature as wireless across all trims, including wireless charging as part of the whole tech package. For the starting price, this is more than fair, but the pairing of your cell phone is more than just streaming your favorite podcast or being able to call people hands-free.
Starting with the phone as your key through the FordPass app, the Mach-E recognizes you upon approach via the signal in your cell phone. It then preps the vehicle according to your personalized settings. This is not just the seat and mirrors. No, it’s the color of the ambient lighting, the temperature, the music, the instrument cluster, and even the place you set for the navigation if you sent it directions before getting to the car. Don’t worry if your phone dies, either. The Mach-E has a keypad on the door that you can use for entry, and then you push the button to ignite the engine.
Intuitive Integration for Daily Life
Imagine slipping into the seat in the perfect position, the mood of the vehicle interior set with whatever color lighting you desire, and the infotainment system already shows the updated route you need to take to avoid traffic jams on the way while it plays your favorite tunes. Sounds nice, right? But wait, there’s a lot more. Take that intuitive beginning and layer in the knowledge the vehicle’s systems gain from the way you interact with it.
Maybe in the morning, you like to listen to a specific news station and keep the interior a calming blue on your way to grab coffee at your favorite café. The Mach-E will remember that, especially if you have a habitual schedule, and every time you get in for your morning drive, the vehicle will play your news station with blue lights and navigate your best route to the café. If you keep a regular routine of any kind, the Mach-E remembers your settings for next time, and then it makes suggestions for future drives according to your established preferences.
For an extra cushy over-the-top offering, Ford also gives buyers the option of personalizing settings before you get your Mach-E delivered. You can create or use an existing FordPass account to set up all the systems to be loaded into the Mach-E prior to its delivery. That means it can code all your pre-set scheduled travel times – like your daily drive to work – to have your vehicle heated or cooled and get the seats, mirrors, music, lights, and anything else you want to include ready prior to the moment you unplug. This readiness feature saves energy later, so it doesn’t have to waste as much battery life after you leave home.
Infotainment Convenience and Future Updates
The SYNC 4A system onboard the Mach-E is the latest Ford infotainment system and is set for over-the-air updates to keep the software current without having to visit the shop. Ford will also store all your Mach-E data in a cloud to keep it accessible – so even if your entire computer system is destroyed, the data still exists and can be downloaded after repairs. This feature is incredibly convenient for those unfortunate incidents when the unexpected happens, and your in-vehicle data is lost.
One of the updates being built into the Mach-E is the Blue Cruise feature, which is expected to arrive in the fall of 2021. Blue Cruise will be similar to GM’s Super Cruise, which allows the driver to engage in “hands-free driving” using sensors and automation that are like a step beyond adaptive cruise control. In essence, the Mach-E will steer and maintain speed on certain highways as long as the driver remains in the driver’s seat with eyes on the road ahead. Sensors built into the dashboard will watch the driver for signs of attentiveness in case the driver needs to reclaim the wheel, and sensors on the exterior keep the car in its lane at a safe distance from other vehicles on the road. Mach-E owners who want to download the update when it becomes available will need to pay $600 for three years of access to the feature, which covers about 100,000 miles of highways across the US.
More On the Horizon
The features already mentioned only scratch the surface of what the tech in the 2021 Mach-E can do, and it seems only fair to touch on some of the other exciting abilities of the high-performing EV. Speaking of performance, when you use the three available drive modes, the Mach-E plays animations set to each mode. Hopefully, this feature is more entertaining than annoying for those who have to listen to it every time you hit a button. If nothing else, you can use the available Bang and Olufsen audio system to distract you while you hit the gas and enjoy the power of electric driving.
Ford made an effort to get the onboard tech better at hearing spoken commands for the system, so you shouldn’t have to yell your requests. Another thoughtful inclusion is navigation that gets downloaded into the vehicle’s systems so it can keep navigating you even when there isn’t any network connectivity. Because there’s nothing more fun than getting out in the middle of nowhere and not being able to navigate out.
Lastly, for the forgetful folks who need reminders to take their vehicle in for maintenance, the Mach-E will send you a notification. Though, the need for maintenance should be minimal in comparison to gas-powered vehicles with more fluids and moving parts to worry about. Whatever you think about the technology and connectivity of our modern world, Ford is doing a fair job of making it easy to look forward to driving with the help of some pretty impressive features.
