Since the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E launched in the U.S. in late 2020, the electric crossover-hatch has steadily been generating a substantial amount of interest. As Ford Authority previously reported, it is on the radar of electrified vehicle shoppers, and those who already purchased the Mach-E overwhelmingly recommend it. The Blue Oval’s rivals have obtained their own Mach-E units to test, as we recently caught Japanese automaker Subaru testing one, as was Ford frenemy Rivian. And now, FoMoCo’s cross-town rival, General Motors, has decided to join the Mach-E evaluation party, as we spotted the automaker benchmarking the Ford EV.
Keeping in mind that we shot these photos a few months ago, when there was still snow on the ground, let’s dig right in.
The model in question appears to be a 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium equipped with the extended-range battery. That should enable GM to drive the vehicle about 300 miles before it needs to recharge, which it can do without bursting into flames, unlike the Chevrolet Bolt range, now comprised of the Bolt EV and larger Bolt EUV. As reported by our sister publication GM Authority, 2022 Bolt production was pushed back several times as the automaker decided to sideline the recently-refreshed Bolt EV and new Bolt EUV in favor of prioritizing the manufacturing of replacement batteries needed by owners impacted by the recall, which extends to every example of the Bolt range produced by GM thus far.
In any event, there are two telltale signs that this particular Mach-E is currently in GM’s hands. For starters, it was seen just outside the company’s Milford Proving Grounds, and it is sporting a decal on its rear bumper that the company puts on all of the vehicles in its evaluation fleet. Beyond that, we can also see that the Mach-E is outfitted with data collection equipment affixed to its body.
To be fair to GM, Ford has been caught benchmarking some of its products in the recent past. As previously reported by Ford Authority, The Blue Oval has been spotted evaluating the C8 Corvette, Chevrolet Tahoe Premier, and 2021 Cadillac Escalade. However, unlike the Ford Mustang Mach-E, those models are not recommended by Consumer Reports.
We’ll have more on Ford’s rivals soon, so subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford Mustang Mach-E news and ongoing Ford news coverage.
Comments
I see nothing wrong with checking out one’s rivals as competition resulting in innovation is a good thing. Rather I think Ford should consider it a compliment.
I agree. However, I don’t think FoMoCo really cares. In fact, I believe that they kinda expect that it is going to happen. All the manufacturers buy their competition’s vehicles to benchmark, teardown, and see what makes them tick. 😉
I used to work at a Ford Dealer just down the road from GM Proving grounds in New Hudson, MI. This was in the early 2000s. GM used to bring their Ford vehicles in for service at my dealership. Man they used to have into electrical components all the time. I had to do tons of wire repairs on those vehicles. Of course none of it was covered under warranty because it was always abuse or just them breaking sh*t or hacking into stuff.
They should be looking out for it because my Mach E is amazing! Its a good model to build from. #biased
Good ! making comparisons of successful car. (Mustang -e ) ; I wonder if there is some way I could help Cuautitlan ‘ s ford assembly plant engineers to read , write and comprehend English texts of Ford ‘s vehicles. I am an English teacher at UNAM ‘s campus 4 Cuautitlan and I teach Technical English to students of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. Would be great to participate on the issue.
Is it ok if I link to this article in my newsletter?