Ford Motor Co. recently announced it will delay production of a planned all-electric three-row SUV from 2025 to 2027, and another electric pickup will be pushed to 2026. The Detroit automaker will instead offer hybrid vehicles across its entire product lineup in North America by 2030, noting slower-than-expected EV adoption and high production costs as the reasons behind the delay.

The company has ranked second in EV sales over the past two years, but it was outpaced by Tesla and Hyundai/Kia/Genesis in the first quarter of this year. However, Ford also said it will continue to invest in EVs, which includes the development of its Blue Oval City campus in Tennessee. The company is emphasizing electric performance with production and racing announcements along with production range/charging enhancements.

Earlier this month, Ford unveiled significant performance enhancements to its Mustang Mach-E GT eSUV. The 2024 model with the Performance Upgrade is the quickest version of the Mach-E to date. With a reported 0-60 mph (0-97 km/h) time of 3.3 s, it is now faster than the Tesla Model Y Performance and the Porsche Macan 4 Electric, according to Ford. The Performance Upgrade combines innovative powertrain thermal modeling and control algorithms, and a new in-house e-motor to deliver improved torque—an additional 100 lb·ft (135 N·m) compared to vehicles without the Performance Upgrade.

Separately from the Performance Upgrade, for the 2024 Mustang Mach-E GT, Ford said it has standardized popular performance features, such as the Ford Performance front seats, BWI Group‘s MagneRide suspension damping system, and Brembo branded front brake calipers. These were previously only on the 2023 Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition. The Mustang Mach-E GT also gets a Bronze Appearance Package featuring 20-in Sinister Bronze aluminum wheels, special badging, and a bold bronze mesh front grille shield.

A new rear e-motor, developed in-house by Ford engineers, debuts on all trim levels of the new Mustang Mach-E. It weighs less and helps to deliver improved torque across the 2024 lineup.

The 2024 Mustang Mach-E with available extended range battery charges almost 20% faster with DC fast charging than previous models, enabling drivers to charge from 10-80% in about 36.2 min—8.8 min faster than previous models. Standard range battery offerings charge from 10 to 80% in 32.3 min, which is 5.7 min faster than at the vehicle’s launch.

Ford credits its new e-motor, along with other tweaks and improvements, for an increased range of the Mustang Mach-E compared to the vehicle’s first model year in 2021. New versions now feature an EPA-estimated range of up to 320 mi (515 km), a 20-mi (32-km) improvement over previous versions.

Ford said Mustang Mach-E GT customers can select the one-time Performance Upgrade at vehicle purchase or have the option to purchase the upgrade and enable it at a later date.

The Performance Upgrade is standard on the new Mustang Mach-E Rally, an eSUV designed for dirt road performance. Raised one inch higher than the Mustang Mach-E GT, the Rally features a tuned version of the Mustang Mach-E GT powertrain, with a two-motor layout targeting at least 650 lb·ft (881 N·m) and 358 kW.

Other specs include an EPA-estimated range of 265 mi (426 km) via a lithium-ion battery with 91-kW·h usable capacity. The estimated charge time from 10% to 80% is about 36.5 min on a DC fast charger.

The new variant has the first-ever RallySport drive mode from Ford, which is designed for off-road driving and allows for added yaw for bigger slides, a linear throttle response for better control, and more aggressive damping for better handling in loose corners. Ford said this new mode will also enable better performance in snow and other slick conditions.

For those looking for the biggest Ford electric performance boost, its Mustang Cobra Jet 1800 EV demonstrator vehicle shattered the quarter-mile world record at 7.75 s and 182 mph after the company had just announced in March that it had broken the world record for the fastest quarter-mile pass of a full-bodied drag car with a time of 7.759 s at 180.14 mph at the National Hot Rod Association Winter Nationals in Pomona, CA. It’s the second time the Cobra Jet EV demonstrator has made history with NHRA, following its original record of 8.128 s at 171.97 mph set in 2021.

Ford said it was able to set this new speed mark by slashing the battery system’s weight by over 40% and fine-tuning the vehicle’s suspension geometry. In collaboration with MLe Racecars, Ford Performance added a setup featuring four PN250DZR inverters and two double-stacked DS-250-115 motor pairings, all optimized for unprecedented launches and performance. A redesign of the battery software system yielded a 30% power increase.

In February, history was made at Mount Panorama during the Thrifty Bathurst 500 event in Australia, with the Ford Performance SuperVan 4.2 setting a trio of lap records, securing the benchmark time for the quickest closed-wheel vehicle, electric vehicle, and commercial vehicle to lap the 6.2-km (3.9-mi) racetrack. With Romain Dumas at the helm, SuperVan 4.2 lapped the course in 1:56.3247, with a top speed of more than 300 km (186 mi) per hour on the Mountain and Conrod straights.

“Lessons learned from SuperVan’s running in Australia will have a direct flow into Ford’s next generation of electric road cars,” said Andrew Birkic, President and CEO, of Ford Australia.

Back on the production side in the U.S., the company also announced the open availability of more than 15,000 Tesla Superchargers for Ford EV owners, making good on a promise to expand public charging options. The new charging system, which Ford calls the BlueOval Charge Network, features EV routing functionality for Google Maps via Android Auto and Apple Maps via Apple CarPay, along with a new public charging app to help drivers find charging stations and connect to individual chargers.

To help customers use Tesla Superchargers, Ford offers complimentary fast-charging adapters to existing Ford EV owners and will include them as standard equipment on all new Ford EVs.

 

Kevin Jost contributed to this article.