Ford is reopening the order books for the 2023 Mustang Mach-E after having to close them over the past few months. Upgrades were made to the Cuautitlan Stamping and Assembly Plant in Mexico where the vehicle is assembled, and now the company wants to ramp up production heading into the second half of the year.
As the order books reopen, pricing has also changed, with all models seeing a price decrease. Select models have seen a $3,000 price drop to $42,995 ($45,995 for AWD), and the California Route 1 AWD Extended Range model dropped $1,000 to $56,995. The Premium and GT models see the most significant drop of $4,000, now starting at $46,995 ($49,995 for AWD) and $59,995, respectively.
All these prices are before the destination fees, but the fact the highest trim doesn't even crack $60,000 anymore is a big win and makes it much more competitive with the likes of the Tesla Model Y which tops out at $56,990.
A few months ago, we reported that Ford was planning on introducing lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries into its EVs, and indeed the, Mach-E is the first to arrive with this technology. Ford says the standard range battery models equipped with these new batteries will see a bump in EPA-estimated range to 250 miles for RWD and 226 miles for AWD. Those figures are up from 247 miles and 224 miles, respectively.
The LFP batteries are partially to thank for the price decreases, among many other perks like increased charging capabilities. Due to the robustness of these batteries, they can be charged to 100% much more frequently without worry of damage or degradation.
DC fast charging also sees a 5-minute drop in the 10-80% charging time to just 33 minutes. On top of this, Ford was able to find 45 hp more in the AWD version.
The LFP batteries are supplied by Ford's Chinese partner CATL until the two can get the planned LFP battery factory up and running in Michigan by 2026.
Due to these Chinese-sourced battery components, the vehicle only partially qualifies for the IRA tax credits, but we imagine buyers will still be plenty happy with $3,750 off.
When Ford announced the use of these new batteries, we weren't expecting to see so many improvements to the base models. The batteries should make the vehicles heavier and perform a tad worse in the cold compared to their nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) counterparts, but with all these gains, it appears the tradeoff is worth it.
The company also says that all future Mach-Es will have a 90-day free trial of Ford's BlueCruise, hands-free driving software. The system, which sees a $200 price increase to $2,100, is only available on certain pre-mapped highways and offers some serious advantages over what Tesla is offering in the ADAS departments.
BlueCruise 1.2 now offers hands-free lane changes and the ability to reposition the vehicle in-lane to create more room when next to larger vehicles like semi-trucks.
Finally, Ford has added some new features to the different trim levels. On the base Select trim, a new $1,500 Comfort Package Lite is now available, which offers heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a memory driver seat, and power-folding side view mirrors. Premium models with the standard range batter will wear new 19-inch Shadow Silver painted aluminum wheels with high gloss black aero covers. Finally, the GT Performance Edition is now available with all-season tires which are $1,000 cheaper than before.