Lembaga Keselamatan Pengangkutan Kebangsaan (NTSB), sebuah agensi persekutuan yang bertanggungjawab menyiasat kemalangan pengangkutan di Amerika Syarikat, sedang menyiasat perlanggaran kereta tragik yang berlaku pada 24 Februari di San Antonio, Texas. Nahas itu melibatkan Ford Mustang Mach-E, sebuah kenderaan elektrik yang dilengkapi sistem bantuan pemanduan bebas tangan canggih yang dikenali sebagai BlueCruise.
Perlanggaran itu mengakibatkan kehilangan nyawa Jeffrey Allen Johnson, yang memandu kereta Honda CR-V ketika kejadian. Peristiwa malang ini telah membawa perhatian kepada peranan teknologi BlueCruise Ford dan implikasinya terhadap keselamatan jalan raya.
BlueCruise Ford dianggap sebagai salah satu sistem bantuan pemanduan bebas tangan paling canggih yang terdapat di pasaran A.S.. Ia membolehkan pemandu mengeluarkan sementara tangan mereka dari stereng semasa memandu di lebuh raya tertentu di mana sistem diaktifkan. Walau bagaimanapun, pemandu yang menggunakan BlueCruise masih perlu kekal prihatin dan mengekalkan tumpuan mereka pada jalan di hadapan. Sistem ini termasuk ciri pemantauan pemandu yang menjejaki pergerakan mata pemandu dan akan terlepas jika ia mengesan bahawa pemandu tidak memberi perhatian untuk tempoh yang lama.
The 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally has officially made its debut, following a teaser previewed in July at the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed. This rallycross-inspired version of the Mustang expands the capabilities of the electric crossover SUV, venturing off the traditional tarmac and into more rugged terrain.
A single glance at the Mustang Mach-E Rally is enough to see that it stands apart from the rest of the Mustang Mach-E lineup. It showcases distinctive features that set it apart in terms of aesthetics and performance.
Most of us think Mitsubishi and Subaru when it comes to rallying. However, Ford has been in the game for a very long time. Back in 1978, Hannu Mikkola, a seven-time winner of the 1000 Lakes Rally in Finland and who won the RAC Rally in Great Britain four times, would triumph for Ford on the last Lombard RAC Rally of the 1978 season, with a Ford Escort RS1800. And who can forget the legendary Ken Block and his gymkhana stunts with a variety of Fords.
Ford had made a mark in rallying with its Escort and Sierra models, then introduced the Focus RS and Fiesta RS later on. But when was the last you heard a Mustang rallying?
According to some news portals, major carmakers Ford, Tesla, Volkswagen, Volvo, Polestar and others have begun phasing out AM Radio. But this has not been received well by some parties including the authorities.
The big news about AM came via a social media post by Ford CEO Jim Farley following a barrage of criticism from politicians and customers alike. Everyone was concerned about the fact that many emergency notifications are broadcast on AM radio stations.
Police forces on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean are showing interest in using the all-electric version of the Ford Mustang – known as the Mustang Mach-E – for patrol and other duties. In response to the interest, Ford specially built a concept unit that it is loaning for evaluations. Some seven police departments in the UK have either tested the new e-SUV, or will soon be doing so.
The Metropolitan Police Force has already assessed the standard Mustang Mach-E and has now requested a full evaluation of the marked concept. A full ‘blue light’ livery test car was built following enquiries from UK police forces looking for greener solutions to the vehicles currently available to them.
RWD and AWD available
The initial concept is a demonstrator Mustang Mach-E Standard Range with all-wheel drive (AWD). Subject to testing of this model, Ford is planning to offer Extended Range version of its rear-wheel drive and AWD versions. The extended battery types would give the police even greater range, and therefore versatility and capability, for police operations.
The new Mach-E, with an output equivalent to 480 ps, is claimed to be capable of 0 – 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds (GT version) and can reach a top speed of almost 180 km/h. Its instant and super-quick acceleration – and quietness – will be useful in a pursuit situation while it is also economical and environmentally-friendly in operation.
The all-electric Mustang Mach-E which has been on sale since the end of 2020.
Lowest energy consumption
The Mustang Mach-E is already a Guinness World Record holder after having achieved the lowest energy consumption on a journey in an electric car. It’s capable of travelling up to 610 kms between charges.
The issue of where the power to operate the concept car’s blue lights, sirens and other high-tech equipment would come from, has been addressed by Ford technicians. “The vehicle range is uncompromised as the blue light equipment is being drawn from the vehicle’s 12V battery and not the drive battery,” said Terry Adams, Blue Light Direct Sales Manager, Ford of Britain and Ireland. “In future developments, we will look to increase this battery capacity to allow for additional equipment to be fitted.”
Some of the items in the equipment fitted to the concept car are bespoke mounting pods and brackets to ensure suitable locations are found for operational use, with minimal damage to the vehicle. All lighting is LED with very low power consumption to reduce current draw from the vehicle’s 12V power system. The 999 livery is a first-off design which utilises high specification material to maximise day and night visibility requirements.
Tested by American police too
Over in the USA, Ford has been helping to pave the way for electric police fleets with all-electric, purpose-built law enforcement vehicles. To demonstrate that a vehicle with an electric powertrain can deliver strong performance and stand up to demanding police duty cycles, the company is submitting an all-electric police pilot vehicle (pictured above and below), based on the latest Mustang Mach-E for testing by police in the company’s home state of Michigan.
Electric vehicles run on electricity, so they will not give off smells that have been associated with the motorcar for over 100 years. Those smells are typically the fumes of the fuel, exhaust gases and also lubricants in some cases.
In a Ford-commissioned survey, one in five drivers said the smell of petrol is what they would miss most if they switched to an electric vehicle, with almost 70% claiming they would miss the smell of petrol to some degree. Petrol also ranked as a more popular scent than both wine and cheese, and almost identically to the smell of new books.
Association with the Mustang
This led Ford to look for a way to help those with a fondness for the evocative smells of traditional petrol cars to make the transition. Their solution: a high-end fragrance that fuses smokiness, aspects of rubber and even an ‘animal’ element to associate with the Ford Mustang heritage.
The Mustang connection is because Ford is now selling an electrically-powered variant of the bestselling sportscar in the world – the Mustang Mach-E GT. It was revealed over last weekend at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England. However, it’s not for sale and is part of the carmaker’s ongoing mission to help dispel myths around electric cars and convince traditional car enthusiasts of the potential of electric vehicles.
Created by a perfume specialist
Known as ‘Mach-Eau’, the fragrance was created by British fragrance specialist, Olfiction, with ingredients that each add a specific element of the scent’s story. Olfiction’s Pia Long, an Associate Perfumer in the British Society of Perfumers, has been creating fragrances for some of the most famous perfume brands and was instrumental in its inception.
Her starting point was to look into the chemicals that are emitted from car interiors, engines and petrol. This included benzaldehyde, which is an almond-like scent given off by car interiors, and para-cresol which is key in creating the rubbery scent of tyres. These were blended with ingredients like blue ginger, lavender, geranium and sandalwood that added metallic, smoky and further rubbery accents. An ‘animal’ element was also included, giving an impression of horses to underline the Mustang heritage. The bottle also comes in a container shaped like a fuel pump.
The all-electric Mustang Mach-E GT.
“Judging by our survey findings, the sensory appeal of petrol cars is still something drivers are reluctant to give up. The Mach Eau fragrance is designed to give them a hint of that fuel-fragrance they still crave. It should linger long enough for the GT’s performance to make any other doubts vaporise too,” said Jay Ward, director, Ford of Europe Product Communications.
Other carmakers have perfumes too
While Ford has no plans to commercialise the Mach Eau fragrance, other carmakers have licensed the use of their brand names on perfumes for many years. Exotic carmakers like Lamborghini and Ferrari have a line of perfumes though they are essentially perfumes without that ‘connection’ the car smells.
Mazda Design also got involved in the carmaker’s first perfume product in 2017. The perfume, with a blend of wood, rose and leather fragrances, was intended to be associated with Mazda’s KODO: Soul of Motion design concept. While the bottle was typical of such products, the outer case that it was stored in was meant to symbolize the KODO design and won a gold award in Germany’s iF Design Awards.
Mazda’s KODO: Soul of Motion perfume (left) and two of the many Ferrari perfumes in the market.
The diverse nature of the huge North American car market means it has many brands present and when it comes to picking winners for the annual North American Car & Truck of the Year awards, the domestic American brands certainly have a lot of challengers from foreign makes. Running since 1994, these awards are the longest-running new-vehicle awards not associated with a single publication, website, radio or television station.
As trucks are an important segment of the North American market, there are three separate awards: North American Car of the Year, North American Truck of the Year, and North American Utility of the Year which was introduced in 2017 for the growing SUV segment.
In fact, even in the first year of the awards, it was a German make – Mercedes-Benz which won the title with its C-Class. Foreign makes have won the North American Car of the Year awards 11 times in 27 years, and in the 28th year, Korean carmaker Hyundai (including the Genesis brand) collects the title for the fourth time with its latest Elantra.
Second time for Hyundai Elantra in North American Car of the Year awards.
This is the second time the Hyundai model has won Car of the Year, the first being in 2012. Only two cars have won the award more than once (the Chevrolet Corvette and Honda Civic). Hyundai also won an overall award for North American Utility of the Year with its Kona SUV in 2019.
For the 2021 North American Utility and Truck of the Year, Ford has two winners – the all-electric Mustang Mach-E and the new F-150. It seems a bit odd that the Mustang is positioned and presented as a Utility Vehicle as, historically, it has been a sportscar – and a legendary one too. Nevertheless, Ford has not left out the performance for which the model has been known and admired, with a high-performance electric powertrain.
Ford Mustang Mach-E
Ford F-150
“This recognition for Mustang Mach-E and F-150 is validation not only for our brand, but also for our Ford team, which continues to innovate and deliver on its commitment to creating must-have products and services,” said Kumar Galhotra, President, Ford Americas and IMG. “The North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year awards are among the most prestigious in the industry and such an honour serves as a capstone achievement for years of hard work for the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 teams.”
To know more about Ford models available in Malaysia, visit www.sdacford.com.my.
For the 2021 event, the jurors tested and evaluated more than 40 new vehicles before voting the top three models of each category to be finalists. The jury is made up of automotive journalists from numerous outlets in the USA and Canada. They evaluate the finalists based on segment leadership, innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for the dollar.
Mercedes-Benz C-Class was the first North American Car of the Year when it started in 1994.
It’s hard to imagine that a pick-up truck – especially one as big and heavy as the Ford F-150 – can win the Green Truck of the Year Award. However, the version that won the award from Green Car Journal is the latest one with a 3.5-litre PowerBoost full hybrid powertrain. Green Car Journal, in given it the award, also noted the F-150’s high-strength, military-grade, aluminium alloy bodywork which continues as a differentiator in the pick-up segment.
Hybrid an important differentiator
“The Ford F-150 earns its well-deserved 2021 Green Truck of the Year honour for an array of important reasons that distinguish it from the crowd,” said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal and GreenCarJournal.com. “The 2021 F-150’s redesign keeps things fresh. The addition of a full hybrid engine option is an important differentiator, as is this pick-up’s available Pro Power Onboard output system with 120-volt and 240-volt outlets for tradesmen and construction sites.”
EcoBoost, 10-speed transmission + electric motor
The PowerBoost full hybrid V6 powertrain (described above) is said to deliver the most torque and horsepower of any light-duty full-size pickup in America. The powertrain combines Ford’s proven EcoBoost engine and 10-speed SelectShift automatic transmission with a 35-kW (equivalent to 47 horsepower) electric motor integrated into the transmission. A range of 1,120 kms is claimed for a full tank of fuel.
Most significant electric vehicle effort
Ford also won the Green Car Journal’s 2021 Green Car of the Year for its Mustang Mach-E, the fully electric variant of the bestselling sportscar in the world. The Journal recognised the Mustang Mach-E as being Ford’s most significant electric vehicle effort to date, calling it a truly special entry in today’s electric vehicle market. It also praised the decision to expand the Mustang stable for instant name recognition, while keeping aligned with Mustang’s well-established heritage and lineage.
“With the all-new Mustang Mach-E and F-150 with PowerBoost hybrid and Pro Power Onboard, we’re electrifying two of our most popular nameplates to give customers new capabilities and choices not possible without electrification,” said Hau Thai-Tang, Ford Chief Product Platform and Operations Officer. “We’re honoured that earning the Green Car and Green Truck of the Year awards affirm Ford is on the right path working to meet our sustainability commitments while innovating to give our customers more.”
The F-150 is not available in Malaysia but Sime Darby Auto ConneXion offers the Ford Ranger, also Built Ford Tough, with a choice of powertrains. To locate a showroom to view or test-drive one, visit www.sdacford.com.my.
In just two days, at an event in Los Angeles, Ford will unveil the much-anticipated Mustang Mach-E. It carries the name of the iconic sportscar but will be entirely different under the bonnet – an all-electric powertrain instead of a petrol engine.
The event will be streamed on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, with actor Idris Elba helping to introduce the latest addition to the Mustang family. Aiming to build up its order bank early, the company will accept bookings immediately after the broadcast (which would be around 10:30 am in Malaysia on Monday morning) at Ford.com.
Customers can pre-order the Mustang Mach-E by placing a refundable deposit (subject to terms and conditions). Ford says that timing will be critical, especially for a limited First Edition. Those who wish to pre-order a car can select their desired specification of the Mustang Mach-E, create a Ford account, select their preferred Ford dealer, and enter their credit/debit card details and address. The pre-ordering is available to customers in the USA and certain other regions.
The ‘Mach’ name was used for fastback variants of the early Mustangs and were the biggest Mustangs ever .
Little is known about the Mustang Mach-E but it is said to have crossover SUV genes as well. ‘Mach’, which refers to the speed of sound, was used for fastback variants in the earlier generations. Recently, at the SEMA show, Ford unveiled a fully electric Mustang Lithium with over 900 bhp and 1,356 Nm of torque. But that was an ‘edge-of-the-envelope’ project and the Mustang Mach-E won’t reach such output levels.
Mustang Lithium prototype displayed at the 2019 SEMA show recently.
However, from one Ford microsite, we learnt that the car is claimed to have a range of 480 kms and scheduled maintenance costs are estimated to be 38% lower costs versus comparable vehicles. Using a 150kW DC fast charger, a 10-minute charge is claimed to be able to give a range of 75 kms.
Drop by PISTON.MY for more details when we have them on Sunday night.
Want to buy a traditional Mustang to keep as a collector’s item? Sime Darby Auto ConneXion has some units for sale. Visit www.sdacford.com.my for more information.
