For the first time in 55 years, Ford is expanding the Mustang family, bringing the famous pony into the electric age with Mustang Mach-E, an all-new, all-electric SUV “born of the same free-spirited ideals that inspired the best-selling sports coupe”.

Ford says Mustang represents “freedom, progress, fast performance and a touch of rebellion”. Now, the company says, “Mustang is ready to reimagine these ideas for a powerful electric future, with space for customers’ growing needs and advanced over-the-air updates that continue to improve the vehicle”.

“At the first-ever Detroit auto show, Henry Ford said he was working on something that would strike like forked lightning,” said Bill Ford, executive chairman, Ford Motor Company. “That was the Model T. Today, the Ford Motor Company is proud to unveil a car that strikes like forked lightning all over again. The all-new, all-electric, Mustang Mach-E. It’s fast. It’s fun. It’s freedom. For a new generation of Mustang owners.”

When it arrives in late 2020, Mustang Mach-E will be available with standard and extended-range battery options with either rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive powered by permanent magnet motors. Equipped with an extended-range battery and rear-wheel drive, Mustang Mach‑E has a targeted pure-electric driving range of more than 370 miles according to the World Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP). In extended-range all-wheel drive configurations, Mustang Mach-E is targeting 332 bhp (248kW) and 417 ft lb of torque.

Ford also will offer a special performance version. The Mustang Mach-E GT is targeting 0-62mph acceleration in less than five seconds, as well as an estimated 459 bhp (342kW) and 612 ft lb of torque.

“The Mustang Mach-E is one of the most exciting vehicles Ford has ever introduced,” said Stuart Rowley, president, Ford of Europe. “This purpose-built all-electric vehicle is unique, but still unmistakably a Mustang, and it’s coming at exactly the right time for customers in Europe.”

Mustang Mach-E delivers three unique drive modes – Whisper, Engage and Unbridled. Features include custom-designed vehicle responsiveness such as sportier steering controls, ambient lighting, sounds “tuned for an authentic all-electric experience”, and “dynamic cluster animations that are tied to driving behaviour”.

When the vehicle launches, a new Mach-E 4 all-wheel drive system applies torque independently to the front and rear axles to deliver impressive acceleration and improved handling over the rear-wheel drive model.

“Whether you want to really feel its performance capability or are looking for the quiet experience that electric vehicles can offer, the Mustang Mach-E harnesses the power of electrification to create a unique driving experience while retaining that unmistakable Mustang feeling of freedom,” said Ted Cannis, Ford enterprise product line director, global electrification.

In addition to this acceleration, Mustang Mach-E will be available with Brembo’s all-new performance Flexira aluminium callipers, which maintain the functionality of a fixed calliper while being designed with the dimensions of a floating calliper. The Mustang Mach-E GT is also equipped with MagneRide damping system, an adaptive suspension technology.

Making its debut in the Mustang Mach-E is the next-generation SYNC communications and entertainment system, a modern interface that uses machine learning to learn drivers’ preferences and gets even better over time, thanks to advanced over-the-air updates. Next-generation SYNC’s 15.5-inch screen and simple interface ditches complicated menus, making it easier to access features with touch, swipe and pinch controls that every smartphone owner will be comfortable using.

Featuring cloud-based connectivity and conversational voice recognition, the next-generation SYNC system brings twice the computing power of SYNC 3 to help make navigation, music and connecting a smartphone to the vehicle faster and easier.

The system also introduces wireless compatibility with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and AppLink apps from smartphones and mobile devices.

“Next-generation SYNC actively starts adapting to you as soon as you start using it, quickly learning your preferences and making personalised suggestions,” said Darren Palmer, Ford global director for battery electric vehicles. “It can suggest going to the gym if it learns Mondays are workout days or calling home if you do that every day after work. The result is a cloud-connected assistant and interface that’s intuitive, beautiful, and ready for the future thanks to fast over-the-air updates.”

Mustang Mach-E will be available in both standard-range (75.7kWh lithium-ion battery) and extended-range (98.8kWh battery), which has a targeted WLTP driving range of more than 370 miles in rear-wheel drive configuration.

These advanced batteries feature 288 lithium-ion cells for the standard-range specification and 376 lithium-ion cells for the extended-range specification. Designed to help maximise interior space and contribute to optimised driving dynamics with a low centre of gravity, the battery is located on the floor between the vehicle’s two axles – and tested at temperatures as extreme as minus 40 degrees Celsius. The batteries are secured inside a waterproof battery case surrounded by crash absorption protection. The battery uses an advanced active liquid heating and cooling system to regulate temperatures for optimised performance in extreme weather and to improve charging times.

As electric vehicle owners do 80 per cent of their charging at home, Ford offers a Ford Connected Wallbox solution, meaning customers can add an estimated average range of 38 miles per charging hour, based on extended-range, rear-wheel drive configuration.

The connected navigation system will identify up-to-date public charging locations during trips and prompt owners to charge at the most convenient points on each drive – all to help ensure they don’t have to be anxious about how much range they have.

Ford provides access to the FordPass Charging Network. In partnership with NewMotion and using connectivity delivered by the FordPass Connect on-board modem, the FordPass app will give customers access to Europe’s largest – and fast-growing – network of more than 125,000 public charging stations in 21 countries. Customers will be able to seamlessly utilise charging points across many markets, initiating and paying for charging services from a single account for a simplified ownership experience. A Ford Public Charge Cable is also supplied with the vehicle.

Ford also is a founder member and shareholder in the IONITY consortium that aims to build 400 high-power-charging stations in key European locations by end of 2020. This enables a significant reduction in charging times for all-electric vehicles compared with existing systems – ideal for long distance journeys. With peak charging power of 150kW, the Mustang Mach-E with an extended-range battery and rear-wheel drive can add driving range of up to 57 miles within 10 minutes of charge time on a DC fast-charging station. The standard-range Mustang Mach‑E is estimated to charge from 10 per cent to 80 per cent in approximately 38 minutes while charging on a DC fast-charging station.

“The Mustang Mach-E is the start of a new era for Ford and we could not be more excited to bring it to our customers in Europe,” Rowley said. “This all-new vehicle represents so much more than just zero-emission driving: it’s about stress-free experiences and total peace-of-mind for all-electric vehicle owners.”