Just a couple of days ago, Ford’s new Mach E website – the one that lets you map out your trips to see how far you can go in the Mach E EV – said: “up to 370 miles of all-electric range.” That figure sounded damn good but quite suspicious as well and, not surprisingly, Ford has quietly changed it. Presumably, Ford was hoping nobody noticed, but we have the receipts and a good idea of exactly what happened. Keep reading to find out!

The Mach E’s 370 Miles of Range Quickly Became “EPA-Estimated 300 Miles”

There’s no denying that range anxiety is a real thing and it could be, at least to some extent, a reason why more people haven’t jumped on the EV bandwagon quite yet. Part of this has led automakers to be overly optimistic when estimating range for their new EVs, which is, sadly, a ploy to get your attention. Once you’re hooked, the “estimated range” drops by a somewhat significant number. And, that’s exactly what Ford has just done with its new Mach E website.

However, when visiting the site again today, we noticed something funny – those 370 miles of estimated range have changed to “EPA-estimated 300 miles all-electric range.” The image is the same otherwise, minus some wording changes, so what gives?

Ford Pulled the Trigger on the Mach E’s “Estimated Range” A Little Too Soon

Was Ford trying to be shady and purposely misrepresent the projected range for the Mustang-inspired Mach E electric SUV? Probably not. It’s possible, but Ford knows better than to be that shady. Our best guess is that, since the Mach E is set to arrive in 2020, Ford wanted to get the word out about electric range, in hopes of helping combat range anxiety, as early as possible. So, it gave its estimates of 370 miles before the EPA could perform its initial estimates. Since the EPA tries to be rather conservative (compared to the WLTP standard in Europe, for example,) Ford’s estimates were way off.

Don’t get it twisted, though. Ford’s overestimation and early boasting could have significant effects. Not at all. See, the big deal about the Mach E having 375 miles of estimated range was that it sat some 50 miles above the Tesla Model X 100D, a model that it will compete with. With the Model X having 325 miles of verifiable range, the Mach E doesn’t really have anything to boast aside from the fact that it’s a little sportier. It will beat out the Jaguar I-Pace’s 240 miles and the Audi E-Tron’s estimated 250 miles, though, so at least it has that going for it. The Volkswagen ID 4 (known as the I.D. Crozz concept) will offer 300 miles as well.

Final Thoughts

The Mach E will be a unique proposition on the market because it will feature Mustang design cues. However, with Ford’s estimated 370 miles of range turning into an EPA-estimated 300 miles of range, the Mach E doesn’t feel quite as attractive. Furthermore, I’m also wondering just how accurate the EPA’s estimate will really be. Will the Mach E be able to achieve 300 miles of range with conservative driving? What about if you have a heavy foot. Sorry to say, folks, but you’ll probably never see 370 miles out of the Mach E. 300 miles might be possible, but we’re guessing the average driver with the occasional playful foot will see somewhere between 250 and 275 miles. Nice try, though, Ford, but we all knew better. You can check out the official range-estimator webpage if you're still interested.

Everything We Know About the Ford Mach-E: Video

Further Reading

Read our full speculative review on the 2020 Ford Mach 1.

Read our full review on the 2018 Ford Mustang.

Check out our full review of the 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1

Dig into our full review of the 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429.

Get into touch with our history of the Ford Mustang from 1964 - 2006