Ford Mustang Mach-E “currently” unavailable here

Sell-out popularity overseas means the Ford Mustang Mach-E electric SUV remains publicly unconfirmed for Australia.

Ford Australia today announced it would launch a minimum of five electrified vehicles by the end of 2024, starting with the repeatedly delayed Escape plug-in hybrid mid-size SUV, which is now arriving in the second quarter of 2022, followed quickly by its first zero-emissions battery-electric vehicle, the E-Transit delivery van.

But it did not outline what else was confirmed on that list of five, what other and how many models might be considered beyond the five, and what the split will be between EV and PHEV.

Ford Australia boss Andrew Birkic described Mach-E as “currently unavailable” despite being sold in other right-hand drive markets including the UK.

“Mach-E is an incredibly good product and we are thrilled to have it in the Ford global line-up, but what we do know is it is sold out,” said Birkic.

“So that’s the position we are currently in and the vehicle will not be available in Australia.

“The vehicle is currently not available for Australia.”

Birkic declined to say what sort of timeline he meant by “currently”.

“It’s just done incredibly well overseas. It has sold out overseas so there are supply issues there and we will continue via our planning areas to investigate options with our global colleagues,” he said.

Birkic also ruled out the new Ford F-150 Lighting full-size electric pick-up and wouldn’t even come close to discussing electrified versions of the next-gen Ranger and Everest due for launch in 2022.

“That’s another vehicle that is not really available to Australia,” Birkic said of the Lightning, which goes on sale in the second quarter of 2022 in the USA and has already collected 150,000 reservations. So far, there are no announced right-hand drive plans for the Lightning.

More encouragingly, a press statement issued by Ford Australia to announce its “electrification roadmap” said many “popular nameplates” would be included and some “new models” would be introduced.

The Mustang Mach-E qualifies on both those counts.

First revealed in November 2019, the Mach-E was earlier this year “sold out” in the words of Ford global boss Jim Farley.

That doesn’t mean production has stopped at Ford’s Mach-E assembly lines in Mexico and China, just that it can’t build enough to meet demand.

Ford has even diverted semi-conductor supplies from the orthodox Mustang sports coupe and convertible family to keep the EV assembly lines going.

The Mach-E is offered in single-motor rear-wheel drive and dual-motor all-wheel drive forms, with e-motor outputs varying from 198kW to 269kW. Battery pack capacity ranges from 68kWh to 88kWh. Maximum range is claimed to be 483km.

North American pricing starts at $US42,895 ($59,000) before tax credits.

Other electrified models Ford has or will develop include the Transit Custom PHEV, the Mondeo Evos EV and at least two crossovers developed on its own or with Volkswagen using the MEB platform.

Globally, Ford intends to spend $US30 billion ($40 billion) on electrification by 2025 and have 50 per cent or more of its sales volume electrified by 2030. It also intends to be carbon neutral by 2050.

In Australia, Ford is collaborating with JET Charge to ready its dealer network with charging infrastructure, as part of a launch framework that includes extensive in-house training programs, a select network of dealers with specialist EV workshop equipment and end-user maintenance routines in readiness for the first vehicles to arrive.

Ford will also install charging stations at its facilities in Campbellfield, the You Yangs Proving Ground and at the company’s new logistics hub at Merrifield.