Ford is already planning updates for the 2022 Mustang Mach-E, confirmed Chief Engineer Donna Dickson in a recent interview with industry analyst Sandy Munro on the latter’s YouTube channel.
First reported by Design News, the full interview lasts just over 38 minutes, and the discussion about range and efficiency improvements begins around the 26:00 mark.
The 2021 Mach-E was the first non-Tesla electric vehicle to achieve a 300-mile range EPA rating, accomplishing that in the form of extended range with rear-wheel drive. Dickson, who recently took the reins (no pun intended) from Ron Heiser, said that Ford has plans to continue increasing the range over the next three model years.
“It’s a year-over-year improvement,” said Dickson. “So, we’ll go and get additional range improvement actions for ’22; we’ll have more in ’23 and more in ’24.”
The Mach-E is among the first Ford vehicles with wireless update capability for vehicle systems, but Dickson indicated that these “actions” will involve hardware changes.
She specifically mentioned some planned changes aimed at saving weight, including removing one of the two engine coolant pumps and using lighter material for certain hoses. Post-launch data indicates that these changes can be made, Dickson said.
Similarly, Ford plans to eliminate the automatic transmission parking pawl that currently holds the Mach-E in park, allowing an electronic parking brake to take over that job. Ford initially used the pawl due to its familiarity, but the part can now be removed, saving costs and weight, she said.
The Mach-E will also shift from two coolant tanks to a single one, according to Dickson.
During a test drive earlier this year, we found the Mach-E’s range to be impressive, even in colder temperatures. The charging on our pre-production example wasn’t fully up to speed, although customers have since widely claimed to have seen sustained peak power of 110 kW or so—not Tesla rates but respectable compared to other electric vehicles from conventional brands.
Ford has stated that the Mach-E will also become smarter regarding range predictions. Furthermore, wireless updates will likely enable future improvements in range, performance, and other attributes.
