2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT First Drive: Competition Improves the Breed

• Minor tweaks increase the EV's range estimates and decrease charging times.
• Bronze package features unique wheels and styling touches.
• The GT Performance model unlocks considerably more speed for longer durations.

For 2024, Ford addressed the complaints surrounding the GT's limited access to its full power potential. Previously, the motors' maximum output was only available in all-too-short 5-second bursts. That's great for a quick stoplight sprint, but apparently Mach-E owners do a bit more than that, including semi-regular passes at their local drag strip. For 2024, Ford has made changes to the software and cooling to allow for the increase in duration, which will now last you through the quarter mile. 

That quarter-mile performance also benefits from a new, more powerful rear motor. Lifted from the F-150 Lightning, this in-house-designed and manufactured motor cranks out up to a monstrous 700 lb-ft of torque. Speaking of the quarter mile, Ford says the Mach-E GT, with the optional Performance package, can do the deed in just 11.8 seconds at 114 mph. That's a significant improvement over the last GT with the Performance package we tested — it took 12.4 seconds but only managed to hit 102.6 mph. The 0-to-60-mph time falls, too, now down to a claimed 3.3 seconds, an improvement of half a second over our previous result we got with a 2021 GT with the Performance pack. 

Other changes pertain to the non-Performance GT. Previously optional features like the MagneRide adaptive suspension, Brembo brakes, and the comfortable yet supportive performance front seats are now standard. These upgrades to the standard GT make it far more appealing for buyers who want a better-handling Mach-E but don't see the need for the additional straight-line oomph unlocked by the Performance package. As before, all-season tires are standard but summer performance tires are an available option.

There are range and charging improvements, too

Range has never been much of an issue for the Mach-E. A rear-wheel-drive version with the extended-range battery performed very well in our EV Range Test, clocking 341 miles compared to a 300-mile EPA estimate. The addition of the new rear motor (it's added to every Mach-E, not just the GT) brings not only extra power but better efficiency too. Combined with software updates and other tweaks, every Mach-E seems a modest bump in range.

The Mach-E Select with rear-wheel drive and a standard battery and the Mach-E Premium with rear-wheel drive and the extended-range battery get an extra 20 miles of range (estimated), improving to 250 miles and 320 miles, respectively. The GT, which comes standard with all-wheel drive and the extended-range battery, sees an estimated bump of 10 miles of range to 280 miles.

Charging times, one of the only real deficiencies of the Mach-E, have also come in for some improvement. In the highly touted 10%-to-80% charging session, models with the extended-range battery are estimated to be just under nine minutes quicker than before, while the standard battery is said to charge just under six minutes faster. But with a maximum charging power of only 150 kW, the extended-range battery will still take over 36 minutes to hit 80%. Compare that to the Hyundai Ioniq 5, which, thanks to the ability to accept a more powerful charge, can reach the 80% mark in an estimated 18 minutes. 

Rainy day BlueCruise

With our time behind the wheel of the 2024 Mach-E dominated by snarling Seattle traffic and copious amounts of rain, we didn't get a chance to flex the extra muscle from the new rear motor. But we did have ample time to sample Ford's updated version of BlueCruise. Available on every model of Mach-E, this version of BlueCruise, Ford's hands-free driving technology, gets enhancements to its lane centering and automatic lane-change assist systems. In a video we did about these types of driving systems, Ford's BlueCruise did well but still had some room for improvement. 

What impressed us during our rainy stint was the way the Mach-E was able to stay nicely centered in its lane, even on a wet highway. The lane lines weren't always easy to see through a wet windshield but the Mach-E found its way, even through gentle curves, without issue. The automated lane-change system proved overly cautious, and probably for good reason, but it only found a couple of instances where all of its safety boxes were checked and allowed a lane change. As Ford has done with the rest of the Mustang Mach-E, we have no doubt that BlueCruise will see continual refinement through over-the-air updates.

Not just for Teslas anymore

Part of our time behind the wheel included a stop at what is starting to become a familiar site: a Tesla Supercharger. Much to the confusion of the several Teslas that were charging, our Mach-E pulled up and, with the quick attachment of an adapter, plugged right in, communicated with, and started charging from the Supercharger. 

Announced at the end of February of this year, Ford EVs can now charge at one of the over 15,000 Supercharger stations throughout the country. Enrollment in the BlueOval Charge Network is required but current customers and future ones, if they join before June 30, 2024, will receive a free Supercharger adapter. After that date, the adapter will cost around $230 and would be a genuinely useful purchase if you plan on doing a lot of long-distance driving in your Mach-E.

Planning for long-distance drives is about to get even easier as Ford said that EV routing functionality, already available with Apple Maps for CarPlay users, will soon be available through Google Maps for Android Auto users. It allows for real-time range adjustments and route planning, which is a boon when you're driving in an unfamiliar area and don't like doing charging math on the go.

File this under, "You couldn't pay us enough"

Donna Dickson, chief engineer of the Mach-E, says that her team takes customer suggestions to heart and was quick to point out a few improvements, such as the streamlining of certain menus on the touchscreen and newly standard equipment born from customer feedback. But one feature added to the Mach-E to improve feedback is one we think will be short-lived. There is now a feature that lets you record a voice memo and upload it directly to Ford.

Ideally, Ford would get nearly real-time user feedback and ideas for improvement that could be incorporated into over-the-air updates or more physical upgrades. However, we foresee a barrage of angry ranting and rambling stream-of-conscious voicemails that are sure to drive the poor listeners and transcribers of these missives to drink. But hey, we'll try to look on the bright side — maybe Ford will get a few genuinely useful ideas out of it.

Edmunds says

Ford's first dedicated EV continues to undergo subtle but significant improvements. For 2024, the Mach-E gains more power, improved efficiency, and an expanded charging network, which will surely improve its position in the increasingly competitive electric crossover segment. We can't wait to get an updated Mach-E in for instrumented testing and to put one through its paces in our real-world Edmunds EV Range Test.