I can point to three moments in my career where electric vehicles stopped feeling like quirky Mercedes E-Class alternatives that a South African kook was trying to sell to rich Californians, and started feeling like the future of cars.
The first was my inaugural outing in a Tesla Model 3, which truly felt like it shrunk the Model S' impressive design into a BMW 3 Series-sized package while simultaneously improving on it. The second came when I drove the original Chevrolet Bolt EV, which felt so far ahead of any comparable gas car in that size and price range that it made internal combustion seem irrelevant.
The third came when I drove the Ford Mustang Mach-E. I was once as cynical about a "Mustang-inspired electric crossover" as anyone with a keyboard and an internet connection. But when I got behind the wheel, I not only had a blast, but I became convinced that a "traditional" automaker like Ford could compete with the likes of Tesla and deliver an exciting electric future for everyone.
It has been objectively successful since, outselling the gas Mustang last year and consistently ranking right behind the Tesla Model Y in sales.
Yet today, so much has changed since the boundless EV optimism of the early 2020s. Almost every automaker has dialed back its electric ambitions over the past few years, canceling projects and lowering expectations. But the Mach-E is still here, even when its equally groundbreaking family member, the Ford F-150 Lightning, failed to survive this pessimistic moment.
So is the electric crossover that transcended all expectations still worth it as we enter 2026?
(Full Disclosure: Ford loaned me a Mach-E for a week of testing in Austin, Texas.)
2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E Select RWD
2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E: Specs And Features
As of this writing, there are four flavors of Mach-E, ranging from the budget-special Select, the middle-grade Premium, the "I didn't realize I was going so fast, officer" Mach-E GT and the slick and powerful Mach-E Rally.
The lower two trims offer rear-wheel drive, while dual-motor all-wheel drive is available for all trims, and standard on the GT and Rally. The family carries three battery sizes, ranging from a standard 73-kilowatt-hour unit up to a 91-kWh unit. The Mach-E lineup offers up to 320 miles of range with the Extended Range battery.
My Glacier Gray Mach-E tester was on the basic side. It was a Select RWD model with the smaller Standard Range lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery and no real options besides the $745 connected package. That meant an EPA-rated 260 miles of range, the Mach-E's first real sign of being behind the times—although it did better in real-world driving than I expected. (More on that in a bit.) It also included Ford's BlueCruise hands-free highway automated driving tech, which I will cover in a separate story.
To Ford's credit, the Mach-E has continuously improved since its debut in late 2020. It's received multiple new features and fixes with over-the-air software updates, something the whole industry still struggles with. It was one of the first EVs to break into the Tesla Supercharger ecosystem. The lineup of batteries has evolved considerably over the years. A heat pump, the latest BlueCruise and a column-mounted shifter to replace the old rotary dial all make the current Mach-E a more compelling offering than the car that launched in 2020.
The Mach-E still gets so much right, but it's also starting to fall behind. And I'm wondering what it says about where Ford is headed next.
2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E: Driving Experience
Fun fact: the Mach-E was originally supposed to be a bland little EV family car, until Ford execs sent it back to the drawing board to feel like something you'd actually want to own. Part of that was affixing the "Mustang" name to the project. They somehow got the design right—it still looks sharp today, considering what it is. Most importantly, the Mach-E is still a hoot to drive, just as it's always been. Nobody would've cared about this car if it weren't.
My Select RWD tester may have put down "only" 264 horsepower, but with 387 lb.-ft. of instant electric torque on tap, it could easily scoot from a standstill to 60 mph in under six seconds. Again, nothing groundbreaking in the world of ultra-fast EVs. But enough power to easily spin the tires under hard acceleration and get the rear end out just a bit on command. The AWD GT and Rally models may be faster, but I prefer the Mustang-like vibes of the RWD version; it feels like it can get you into some shenanigans, should you want them.
Even if the Mach-E is generally longer and wider than many competing electric crossovers like the Kia EV6, Tesla Model Y and Hyundai Ioniq 5, it still feels smaller than they do. Credit its unique shape, dialed-in chassis or tight steering. It still feels like a compact vehicle in ways that other EVs don't. In this way, and as is fitting of a car with the Mustang name, it remains the driver's choice in this crowded pack—a car I looked forward to piloting, in ways I don't with, say, a Volkswagen ID.4.
Inside, the Mach-E feels premium enough for its price. Synthetic leather comes standard on all models and the interior bits never seem outrageously cheap. Rear legroom and headroom were decent for my 5-foot-11 frame, and with 29.7 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 59.7 cubic feet total with seats folded, space is on par with its class. It offers a frunk as well, though its dimensions have been pared significantly back to make room for the heat pump. You'll be buying fewer chicken wings for that next tailgate party, I suppose.
Meanwhile, those electronic door handles—powered by little buttons—aren't for everyone. Not a dealbreaker for me, but given recent headlines, probably best left in the past.
You're also doing with a lot less on the Select trim. My tester didn't include a heated steering wheel or heated and cooled seats—heated seats by now should be an energy-saving feature standard for any EV—and worst of all, no power tailgate. That felt like an annoyingly cheap omission on an otherwise nice vehicle.
2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E: Tech
More than a few passengers audibly gasped when they saw that 15.5-inch portrait-style touchscreen. Even by screen-heavy EV standards, it feels big, and it utterly dominates the interior experience. The Mach-E does well enough with physical controls like audio and cruise control buttons on the steering wheel, but many of its controls are centralized through that screen. That can be a good or a bad experience, depending on the task.
The maps and navigation are excellent. It's especially good at adjusting routes on the fly when traffic conditions change, and with EV route-planning and charger-finding. I easily added a quick fast-charging stop to my pre-planned route during a jaunt between Austin and San Antonio.
But the touchscreen is becoming noticeably laggy. Switching between different functions using the "cards" on the bottom of the screen, or launching new menu applications, feels like opening too many browser tabs at once. While it's not terrible, it does feel like the Mach-E's computer hardware is reaching its modern limits. The voice command system is decent, not outstanding, and the car could really benefit from some physical climate controls.
On the plus side, Ford's smartphone app integration is very good. Better than most. You can find the car's location, remotely lock and unlock it, use your phone as a key, authorize other drivers, locate and schedule home and public charging and even see how much wiper fluid you have left.
It's all very Tesla- and Rivian-ish, easily outclassing the frustrating experience in cars like my Kia. (And I was even able to use it; most automakers can't even figure out how to let journalists like me log into these apps temporarily during testing. That speaks volumes about Ford's tech game.)
2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E: Range And Charging
I initially balked at my Mach-E Select's 260-mile range, 73 kWh battery and its 115-kilowatt charging speeds. On paper, neither seems great in late 2025, and even the Extended Range battery's 150-kW max is middling at best these days.
But the Mach-E did better than I expected, and it makes an argument for considering your actual use case when buying an EV. I drove around Austin for days, visiting family for the holiday, and worried about range far less than I thought I would. I averaged between 3.1 and 3.5 miles per kWh, so it's reasonably efficient for its class.
I fast-charged the Mach-E twice. The first time, I used a Tesla Supercharger station and a North American Charging Standard (NACS) adapter—something the whole industry is doing, thanks to Ford blazing the path by inking the first deal with Tesla—and went from a 25% charge to 78% in 23 minutes at a pretty steady 112 kW throughout. The charging curve is fairly steady here, and that helps its overall pacing. Still, options from Hyundai and even Subaru can cover more ground in less time.
A few days later, I stopped at a Ford dealership just south of Austin and went from 36% to 65% in a little over 10 minutes on a 240-kW plug. Fine enough to pass my usual "road trip stop" test. Again, it's not bad, and it all met my daily needs just fine. But let's be honest: as we go into 2026, that could be a heck of a lot better and faster. Broadly speaking, the Mach-E family really isn't all that competitive in this arena.
It does benefit from the BlueOval Charge Network, Ford's vast plug-and-charge ecosystem that lets you pay automatically with Electrify America, Tesla Superchargers, ChargePoint, EVgo, Shell Recharge and other providers. That's a lot more seamless than the endless array of smartphone apps that other EV owners have to contend with.
2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E: Price And Verdict
My tester came in at $40,830, including the $1,995 destination fee, and I can tell you that package would've been a lot more palatable if I could still knock $7,500 off the price tag with the EV tax credit.
It's far less cut-rate than the new and comparably priced Model Y Standard, but with much less range. Tougher competition comes from the newly price-slashed Ioniq 5. And the Chevy Blazer EV and Equinox EV both have the Ford beat on an assortment of specs, with the Equinox EV offering far more range for less, and the Blazer EV offering significantly more space.
This may not be fair to bring up in a new car review, but it's worth noting that the Mach-E has been on the market for a while, too. A used one is a screaming deal right now, as long as you don't need the heat pump.
But in light of Ford's recent EV retreat, I'm left wondering: What's next? Ford wouldn't tell me about future plans, like whether the Mach-E will get a NACS port, as many competitors plan to introduce. It's unclear if the folks in Dearborn have plans to boost range and charging speeds.
This may be it for this platform for a bit, even if it's left to hold down the fort until the "skunkworks" Ford Universal EV Platform cars arrive in 2027. I actually do hope that platform delivers a next-generation Mach-E. By nearly any measure, this car has been a success, and a few hundred thousand owners would likely agree.
Sometimes, however, a car is more than the sum of its parts—more than what its specs on paper will imply. For me, the Mach-E is one of those cars. Despite some shortcomings, I still really enjoyed driving this thing.
It did everything I needed it to with comfort, power and style. I always had fun behind the wheel. It still offers a Tesla-ish experience without the, ahem, baggage as of late from that brand. And the Mach-E is still miles ahead of some competitors on hands-free highway driving, software updates, charging access and more.
It gets enough right that Ford should know where to take things. Until then, whenever someone tosses me the keys to a Mustang Mach-E, I won't say no.
Gallery: 2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E
Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com
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