SEATTLE — The 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E gets more power, a longer range and quicker charging, but the performance upgrade owners are likely to enjoy most will arrive by mail, in a cardboard box not much bigger than your smartphone came in.
“Our gift to you,” the card inside reads: “Thousands more fast chargers.”
It’s the long-awaited adapter allowing Ford electric vehicles access to Tesla’s network of DC fast chargers, the largest and most user-friendly way to top up the battery quickly on long drives.
It’s everything owners have been hoping for, based on my experience as one of the first people outside Ford Motor Co. to use the adapter.
Equally important, it addresses one of the main reasons many people have resisted buying an EV: concern over the availability and dependability of fast-charging for vacations and weekend getaways.
In addition to the adapter — more on that shortly — the 2024 Mustang Mach-E got a raft of changes thanks to a variety of software and software upgrades.
Buyers wanted better acceleration and faster charging, Mach-E chief engineer Donna Dickson said. Ford achieved that — and reduced costs — in part by adopting the rear motor it uses in the F-150 Lightning electric pickup. It also changed electronic components in the front motor — all-wheel drive electric vehicles have at least two separate motors, one on each axle; some have three or four.
The mechanical changes are the reason the power and range improvements aren’t available via over the air software changes to owners of previous model years. Software changes include pre-conditioning the battery for optimum charging on a road trip
The least expensive ’24 model — standard battery/ rear-wheel drive — gains 20 miles range, to 230 miles. The longest-rage model — Premium trim, extended range, RWD — also gains 20 miles, to 320 miles.
