Another Look at Ford's New Mach 1 Electric Vehicle

Mystery Machine

A problem with golf ball wrap camo is that it only goes so far. When a photographer nabs a Mustang test vehicle out for a spin there no mistaking it for anything else, wrapped or not. The vehicle you see here is a different story, a story some outlets have claim might be the next chapter of Ford’s Escape. If that’s true then an upcoming Escape might more closely resemble a separate volume rather than a continuation of the story we’re used to. We’re not completely buying that theory because the crossover utility vehicle you see here is both longer and bulkier than either the current Escape or spy photos of what was presumed to be its replacement. 

Mach 1, Exhibit 1

While we’re engaging in the process of elimination, one other thing this vehicle is not is the Mach 1 Ford has been working on. Except it might be. When Ford announced back in January that work had begun on a new EV vehicle, they ran the storied name Mach 1 up the flagpole to see who would salute. Well, and because Ford isn’t Chrysler and model names aren’t so easily abused to the point of devaluation, the Ford faithful predictably responded thumbs-down as soon as they got wind of Mach 1 graphics adorning anything other than a Mustang. “We put that out there to evaluate it," said Ford's president of global markets, Jim Farley, speaking to Automotive News. "There are pros and cons. I don't want to handicap it at this point, but we got a very strong reaction from people." The vehicle it appears was meant to wear that appellation has been reported as a “performance-oriented” Mustang-like CUV, which seems to be an effort to expand the Blue Oval’s sporting nameplate Porsche-style into all manner of four- and five-doors.

>>Join the conversation about the EV Mach 1 Crossover right here in Ford-trucks.com.

Mach 1, Exhibit 2

But speculation may be confusing what has been suggested in renderings with the vehicle in these spy photos. This crossover might just be the vehicle that Ford had initially intended to label “Mach 1,” or at least it’s taller, 4WD brother, though the height and acreage of the hood from some angles more closely resembles that of an SUV than a crossover. It’s certainly easier to believe this thing is whole new creation than a second try at an Escape redesign. But enough about speculation over what it will be called, let’s take a closer look at what we have here.

>>Join the conversation about the EV Mach 1 Crossover right here in Ford-trucks.com.

Diesel?

The CUV caught in these photos was wearing a “diesel fuel only” tag over some sort of flap. Could that just be part of a clever disguise? Perhaps, but everyone can make mistakes, even test drivers, so it’s feasible it was meant to be taken at face value. The options here could be that it’s a temporary engine in an EV vehicle (doubtful, why waste the effort), a full diesel prototype (possible but not in line with Ford’s electric goals), or, and this would be significant, some sort of diesel hybrid. 

>>Join the conversation about the EV Mach 1 Crossover right here in Ford-trucks.com.

EV

Though the test vehicle has a small exhaust pipe sprouting from underneath, the photographer could not confirm that it led to an internal combustion engine of any type due to the noise level in the area where the photos were shot. For what it’s worth, no charging port is visible in the photos, though that doesn’t mean no such port was hiding somewhere underneath the camouflaging. 

>>Join the conversation about the EV Mach 1 Crossover right here in Ford-trucks.com.

Tires

The test vehicles tires are just as enigmatic as the rest of the car. While large brakes dwell behind sporty alloy wheels, the tires are not particularly wide. What’s more, they don’t seem to fill the wheel wells, especially in the front, whereas the rear wheel wells appear to have a bit of a skirt of wrap filling the tire-to-body gap. It’s anyone’s guess whether this is a case of tires being thrown on just for testing, an unloaded vehicle riding higher than normal, or some other shenanigans going on.

>>Join the conversation about the EV Mach 1 Crossover right here in Ford-trucks.com.

Undertray

Perhaps most perplexing is the rear of the vehicle. Even if Ford had wanted to run wider wheels and tires, with the way the crossover was configured during testing there wouldn’t have been room for much extra width. A wide, low undertray appears to have been screwed into place temporarily in that spot. The location of the tray certainly indicates that it’s being used as a cover for something—could that something be a temporary battery pack location? Like the very existence of the vehicle, it raises more questions than it answers. Only one thing seems to be clear: a new Ford is coming soon.