At the time of announcing its India exit plan in 2021, Ford had mentioned that some of its global electric SUVs could be launched in India
In yet another development that signals Ford’s potential re-entry, the company has registered the Mustang Mach-E trademark in India. The trademark journal was done this week on 12th Feb 2024. Earlier, Ford had cancelled its Chennai plant sale deal with JSW and filed a patent for Endeavour SUV. Some job openings were also posted online. Till date, Ford has neither denied nor officially accepted its India re-entry plans.
Ford Mustang Mach-E – A CBU import
Regarding its re-entry into the highly competitive Indian automotive space, Ford appears to be keeping its cards close to the chest. The trademark filing for Mustang Mach-E compact Crossover electric SUV is strong evidence for Ford’s potential re-entry in India. Assuming Mustang Mach-E is launched here, it is likely to be imported as a CBU. This is in line with the company’s earlier statements issued at the time of exiting the Indian market.
As it will be a CBU import, Mustang Mach-E will be largely the same as sold across international markets. Assembly for the crossover electric SUV is done in Mexico and China. At a later date, it is possible that Ford may consider the CKD route for Mustang Mach-E in India. This will help achieve a competitive price point for the Indian market.
With the CBU route, Mustang Mach-E will be available at a starting price of around Rs 70 lakh. In the US, prices start at $42,995 (Approx. Rs 35.72 lakh). At this price point, it will take on the likes of Kia EV6, Volvo XC40 Recharge, BMW i4, BMW iX1, etc. India has huge EV potential and leading EV players like Tesla are looking at local manufacturing. It is possible that Ford may eventually consider India as a manufacturing hub for both domestic and export markets. Such developments may take time, as Ford may not want a repeat of its earlier experiences in India.
Ford had to shut India operations, as part of its global business restructuring plan. In the period before its exit, sales volumes were below expectations and the company wasn’t able to achieve its targeted return on investment.
Ford Mustang Mach-E – specs, performance
In the US, a total of four variants of Mustang Mach-E are available for sale. Both RWD and eAWD variants as well as standard range and extended range variants are offered. The base Mustang Mach-E Select variant has 70 kWh usable battery capacity. The RWD variant churns out 266 hp and 430 Nm, whereas the eAWD has higher torque of 580 Nm.
EPA-estimated range is 250 miles (402 km) with the RWD and 224 miles (360 km) with the eAWD variant. With the extended range variant, the range increases to 314 miles (505 km) with RWD and 277 miles (446 km) with eAWD variant. Top speed is electronically limited to 115 mph (185 km/h).
Top-spec Mustang Mach-E GT variant is available at a starting price of $59,995 (approx. Rs 49.86 lakh). The extended range version has a 91-kWh battery pack. GT eAWD variant generates 480 hp and 813 Nm. There’s a GT Performance Edition as well that churns out 860 Nm. Range of the Mustang Mach-E GT eAWD model is 270 miles (435 km). 0 to 60 mph (~ 0 to 100 km/h) can be achieved in 3.8 seconds.
