Scoop: Ford Mustang Mach-E not ruled out for Malaysia

The Ford Mustang Mach-E electric crossover will be making its way to right-hand-drive (RHD) markets in Asia-Pacific (APAC) but hold your horses, EV fans and aspiring entrepreneurs, because its arrival won’t be so soon.

According to sources familiar with the matter, Ford has not ruled out the Mustang Mach-E’s arrival in RHD markets in APAC, which also implies Malaysia. The electric crossover with the famous horse badge is the Blue Oval’s latest global product but despite the name’s controversy, the Mach-E has been a hit.

It is one of the most popular EV crossovers in Europe and is even a best-seller in Norway in May 2021. Though sales of the original Mustang muscle car were still higher in North America in 2021 (52,414 units), Ford would nonetheless be proud of the 27,140 Mach-Es that were sold in 2021 – putting it only behind the Tesla Model Y in the electric crossover segment.

However, the Mach-E’s popularity has been overwhelming that production can’t keep up with demand. This is one of the reasons for the Mach-E’s slow rollout in RHD markets.

Still, the American carmaker recently announced plans to triple the annual production of the electric crossover to more than 200,000 by 2023 to meet demand.

The Mach-E is built at the Cuautitlán assembly plant in Mexico and in Chongqing, China under a joint venture with Changan Automobile but most markets receive the Mexican-built units.

The Mustang Mach-E is available with three variants which consist of the base rear-wheel-drive (RWD) Mach-E, the Mach-E all-wheel-drive (AWD), and the Mach-E GT which also comes with AWD.

The Mustang Mach-E comes with two battery packs, a 75.7 kWh battery on the Standard Range (SR) or a 98.7 kWh battery on the Extended Range (ER) and the AWD variants. As seen in the above table, the ER gives a higher power output but is slightly slower in terms of 0-100 km/h acceleration.

Obviously, speed is not really the main concern on an EV even if it has the Mustang name on it. The Mach-E has up to 609 km of range based on WLTP ratings which would sound enticing for those thinking of bringing one for long-distance travelling.

Ford claims that the Mach-E can be charged from 10-80% power in 7.2 hours via an AC charging station and 90 minutes through a 50 kW DC fast charger.

Also read: Confused by EV terms? Here's everything you need to know

For now, it is still too early to speculate which variant would make it into Malaysia but it is definitely something that EV fans will be looking forward to. Currently, the only RHD market that sells the Mach-E is the United Kingdom where prices start from GBP 41,330 (~RM 234,000).

Before you start calling your recond dealer, maybe you could wait for the official unit’s eventual launch.

With the government announcing tax exemptions on EVs including full exemption on import duty, excise duty, and sales tax for fully-imported (CBU) EVs until 31-Dec 2023, we might see Sime Darby Auto Connexion (SDAC) bringing in the electrified Mustang crossover into Malaysia. Watch this space.

Also read: Rich man’s EVs are tax free, but common man’s hybrids are not – here’s why