The best car to buy from Green Car Reports 2021

A Mustang as the most important new green car of the year?

Maybe that was our reaction before the last few weeks. Since our editors started looking for first drive opportunities with the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E, it is expected to become our unanimous winner. And yet at the same time, we all seem a little surprised that it’s so good.

Its reveal in November 2019, practically next door to Tesla’s Hawthorne Design Center, generated a buzz among enthusiasts, but as Ford began to reveal more details that it was taking this model seriously and not This wasn’t just a special project for EV enthusiasts. , our interest is growing.

The Mach-E brings together an intriguing set of influences. It would offer versions with an actual range of 300 miles rated by the EPA, live full vehicle updates, and be one of the first vehicles for a driver assistance system (called Active Driver Assist) with the potential of rival Navigate on autopilot. Its new vertically oriented version of Sync offers many interface options.

After spending time behind the wheel and around the Mach-E – once we’ve filtered our thoughts on the prancing horse logos everywhere – we call it prettier and more fun to drive than the Tesla Model Y. Some of the Ford’s best engineering talent were involved, it turns out. Plus, the materials in its cabin don’t come just from the coin bin, and the overall feeling of calm and sophistication – “material” parts Tesla can’t change with a simple update – is a step up. above what Tesla offers in the Model Y.

It’s the past, present and future of the automobile, all in one. The past for the legacy of the ponies and the continuity of design that everyone recognizes; the present to be widely available and supported; and the future for its all-electric propulsion and connectivity.

Not a Tesla-trouncer, something better

The Mach-E isn’t Tesla’s cliché killer. Instead, it’s certainly the sweet spot for many Americans who want an electric car but just don’t see themselves in a Tesla. It has charm, and yet it’s hard to find any serious flaws – a truly unusual combination in the car world.

Yes, we know there are things Tesla does better. Ford says the Mach-E can gain up to 61 miles in 10 minutes with a 150kw fast charger, while Tesla says the Model Y can recover up to 168 miles in 15 minutes with its V3 hardware. In addition, the Supercharger network is still much better for fast charging on the road than what exists in the CCS format, but Electrify America, EVgo and others collectively gain this advantage.

And the sheer physics of Tesla’s efficiency achievements can make the Mach-E perform a little bit. The Tesla in twin-engine form does 326 miles of usable range out of 75 kWh of usable range, while the Mach-E in the equivalent form does 270 miles from 88 kWh. But we have to believe that Ford will make gains in this area with live updates in the near future.

Another electric flavor

As we’ve revisited most of these finalists in recent weeks, each has a different character. The companies behind them have made performance, load, and interface decisions that translate into an experience you won’t confuse with another.

The Model Y offers many of the same virtues as the Model 3, and it takes the efficiency and stellar performance of this model from the most popular segment of the US vehicle market. While it arrived early, it arrived without the kind of surprise Model 3 advancements we just thought were on the way. The Polestar 2 feels designed by a team that has paid the utmost attention to cosmetic and performance details and sounds most true to the paradigm of the premium European performance car. The Volvo XC40 Recharge appeals to families looking for comfort, understated luxury and a unique Volvo aesthetic. And the Toyota RAV4 Prime hits the heart of the market, pairing high mileage hybrid operation with enough electric range to deliver tailpipe-free driving on most days.

The Prime could also have been our winner this year, if Toyota had committed to building as many as buyers want. In 2019, Toyota sold nearly 450,000 RAV4 models, with the RAV4 Hybrid accounting for more than 20%. We couldn’t get past what seems like a confusing oversight – that Toyota believes less than 5% of RAV4 buyers would want a faster, better-performing version that offers much of the wow factor of a fully electric vehicle.

This represents an opportunity in the coming year for the Volkswagen ID.4, which targets cost of ownership and mainstream models like the RAV4, to win over RAV4 owners. As we covered in a preview of what didn’t quite make the cut this year and why, the ID.4 wasn’t on this year’s shortlist due to timing.

No compliance cars or narrow niches

Availability and scale certainly play a role in our decision. Polestar so far treats the Polestar 2 as a niche car in the United States, with limited availability focusing on major metropolitan areas and no availability in the United States for the affordable versions offered in Europe. And while the XC40 Recharge is a compelling urban crossover that points to Volvo’s future, its combination of size, price, and close resemblance to the gasoline-powered XC40 suggests a cautious entry into EVs that might not. not prioritize the United States. as much as possible.

After a first ride, we remain confident that Ford will easily sell any Mach-Es they can make – which the company previously said is only around 50,000 in the first. full year of production, with about half of those heading to the United States. Will this inspire Ford to do more? Officials have yet to commit to increasing production numbers beyond that and have not confirmed whether a second electric model from the same Mexican plant will be included in that total.

How involved is Ford? The company now benefits from the environmental vision of executive chairman William Clay Ford and a genuine enthusiasm for electrical performance from new CEO Jim Farley. The company highlighted its voluntary agreement with California for stricter emissions standards that would encourage more electric vehicles. He also began revealing more about a full set of electric vehicles for affordability and cost of ownership, including E-Transit electric vans, a fully electric version of the F-150, a project with Rivian, and several others. electric vehicles expected to arrive by the middle of the decade.

In our editorial group, editors who are not necessarily convinced of Tesla’s vision for the future have emerged with the Mach-E, and even in the midst of a pandemic, the Mach-E has drawn onlookers in. our parking lots and driveways – more so than any EV we can remember. Some of Ford’s ancillary efforts, including adopting a high-performance version on NASCAR’s interior fields, appear to be integral to the mission.

The launch of Mach-E could indicate a psychographic inflection point in electric car development, and its influence on electric vehicle adoption may well exceed what production numbers suggest. Making it a Mustang was a smart move for the company and for clean air

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Visit our editorial group’s other Best Car To Buy awards – at Motor Authority and The Car Connection – and see what readers have chosen as the winner of The Car Connection’s annual Driver’s Choice awards.