Ford Mustang Mach-E GT Sales Start: Performance Edition Power Confirmed

Ford has thrown open the order books for the most potent versions of its electric crossover, with the 2021 Mustang Mach-E GT and GT Performance Edition up for sale and with confirmed power numbers. The two most horsepower-heavy iterations of the all-electric vehicle, they put the traditional, internal-combustion Mustang on notice as EVs threaten to soon eclipse them on performance.

Ford announced the Mustang Mach-E GT alongside the rest of the variants of the electric crossover back at the end of 2019. However it lagged its siblings to market, with the automaker taking reservations for order slots, but holding off on actually accepting those orders until today.

In the intervening period, meanwhile, the option to add even more power was added. Ford unveiled the Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition late last year, as an available upgrade that coaxes even more from the dual electric motors. In fact, it cuts the 0-60 mph time to 3.5 seconds.

The "regular" Mustang Mach-E GT has all-wheel drive and a more potent secondary electric motor for the front wheels. In total there's 480 peak horsepower and 600 lb-ft of torque to play with. Ford expects 0-60 mph to come in 3.8 seconds, while still targeting an EPA-estimated 250 miles of range.

It's equipped with 20-inch machined-face aluminum wheels, with high-gloss black-painted pockets and aero covers. Ford fits them with 245/45R20 Continental all-season tires as standard. Behind them, there are red-painted performance brake calipers, clamping down on 385 mm ventilated front rotors and 316 mm solid rear rotors.

Inside, there are sport-style front seats finished in Black Onyx ActiveX material with Miko inserts and copper metallic accent stitching and piping. A B&O audio system – with nine speakers and a subwoofer – is standard too, plus multi-color ambient lighting and an aluminum appliqué instrument panel. Finally, there are front door scuff plates with metal inserts with pony graphic and GT lettering.

The 2021 Mustang Mach-E GT is priced from $59,900, though Ford says buyers will still be eligible for the federal tax incentive of up to $7,500. Deliveries will begin early in the fall, and continue through the end of 2021.

Trimming the 0-60 to 3.5 seconds, the GT Performance Edition cranks out 480 horsepower and 634 lb-ft of torque by pulling more power from its battery pack. That will mean a hit on range, mind: Ford is estimating 235 miles on the EPA's test cycle.

Still, owners probably won't mind too much. There are 20-inch machined-face aluminum wheels with high-gloss Ebony Black-painted pockets shod with 245/45R20 Pirelli summer tires, and MagneRide Damping as standard. Bigger, 385 mm front rotors are fitted too, along with red-painted Brembo calipers.

Inside, there'll be Ford Performance front seats finished in Performance Gray ActiveX Seating Material, along with special Miko perforated reflective inserts and metallic stitching.

Both versions will be offered in Cyber Orange Metallic Tri-Coat and Grabber Blue Metallic finishes, along with Dark Matter Gray Metallic, Rapid Red Metallic Tinted Clearcoat, Star White Metallic Tri-Coat, Shadow Black, Iconic Silver Metallic, and Space White Metallic.

The 2021 Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition is priced from $64,900, again before the federal tax incentive. It, too, will begin deliveries in the early fall, Ford says.

Both of the GT variants will be offered with BlueCruise, Ford's recently-rebranded hands-free driver assistance system that was originally announced as Ford Active Drive Assist. The hardware for that will be part of the Ford Co-Pilot360 Active 2.0 Package. Software to actually enable the feature, meanwhile, is expected to arrive in Q3 of this year.

BlueCruise allows for hands-free driving – with a combination of active cruise control and lane-keeping – on 100,000+ miles of divided highways in the US and Canada. It relies on a driver attention monitoring camera built into the steering column to ensure the person at the wheel is paying sufficient attention to the road ahead, and ready to take over should the system require it.