Ford starts preorders for locally built Mustang Mach-E

Ford Motor Co. began taking pre-orders in China this week for the Mustang Mach-E it is assembling with Changan Automobile Co. 

The EV is priced from 265,000 yuan ($40,582) to 379,900 yuan, according to Ford’s China unit. 

Ford plans to distribute the vehicle via a direct sales network that will expand to cover 20 major Chinese cities by the end of the year. 

The U.S. automaker will collaborate with China’s largest government-owned power grid operator, State Grid, and leading Chinese EV startup Nio to enable Mustang Mach-E users to access State Grid’s 300,000-plus public charging poles across the country, as well as Nio’s fast charging facilities.

It will also add functionality on 45,000 fast-charging poles owned by third parties that will allow Mustang Mach-EV drivers to recharge the vehicle without the help of a mobile app, according to Ford China.

The Mustang Mach-E crossover is the second locally produced EV in Ford’s China product lineup, following the battery version of the Ford Territory crossover. 

In the first quarter, the Ford brand’s China sales surged 45 percent from the coronavirus-stricken year-earlier period to 76,611. The growth was led by the brand’s crossovers and SUVs such as the Explorer, Escape and Edge.