FORD CEO Jim Farley has vowed the company will never make an electric Mustang – seemingly forgetting there already is one.
Brand loyalists have pushed back on Farley’s comments regarding the brand, spotlighting earlier enthusiasm for an all-electric Mustang that’s currently on the road.
The Mach-E’s Mustang heritage is under scrutiny after Farley’s words gained traction on social media[/caption]
Farley’s comments from a May 2024 interview have recently resurfaced and gained traction on social media, with the CEO saying at the time, “We will never build a Mustang that isn’t a Mustang.”
“One thing I can promise, however, is that we will never make an all-electric Mustang,” Farley said in an interview with Autocar at the time.
“I look at other users of pure-electric power such as Formula E, and even companies like Rimac, and I just don’t think that would be right for Mustang.
“Great for other Fords – look at the worldwide success of Transit – but not for Mustang.”
However, as car enthusiasts have readily pointed out, Farley’s stance isn’t wholly accurate given the existence of the Mustang Mach-E, Ford’s crossover-style take on an electric inheritor of the Mustang name.
The Mach-E’s specs further prove this, with the performance-oriented Rally trim making 700 lb-ft of torque and 480 horsepower, which translates to a very Mustang-esque 3.4-second 0 to 60 mph, and clearing the quarter mile at 11.8 seconds.
Yet the most integral point in proving the Mach-E is a Mustang is the fact that it’s adorned with the iconic pony logo, a move Ford has since admitted it made as a marketing tactic to better sell the car to potential customers, per Road & Track.
“So even Ford themselves says the Mach e isn’t a mustang. THEN WHY IS THE MUSTANG NAME AND BADGE ON IT???” one X user wrote in response.
Despite Ford’s motives, formally titling the EV as the Mustang Mach-E makes it an official Mustang vehicle in the eyes of car enthusiasts, whether or not the brand intended so.
FORD FANS FIRED UP
Mustang enthusiasts have since weighed in on Farley’s resurfaced comments online.
“Hot take, the mach e isnt a bad car, the problem is, its called a mustang, so it immediately makes it terrible,” said one X user in a cheeky dispute of Farley’s comments.
Others pointed out that the Mach-E was initially marketed as an SUV and not a Mustang, despite the title.
“Well, if you think about it, the Mach E was just a Mustang trim and marketed as a full electric SUV. But yea, that statement is pretty wild,” another wrote.
“Love that the mach E is canonically not a mustang despite what people say,” wrote one X user.
Top Ford recalls in 2025
FORD has issued a historic number of recalls so far this year.
Here’s a look at some of the most significant safety announcements that affected millions of the brand’s vehicles.
- In August, 355,000 models, including the F-550 SC, F-450 SD, F-350 SD, F-250 SD, and the 2025 F-150, were recalled over issues with the instrument safety panel
- Just days prior, over 103,000 F-150s were recalled over an axle fault
- In July, Ford announced that 700,000 vehicles were at risk of having a fuel leak problem
- In the same month, over 850,000 Ford cars were found to potentially have a fuel pump defect that could put them at risk of a crash
- Also in July, 200,000 Ford cars were found to potentially have a software glitch affecting rearview cameras
- In June, four new Ford recalls were announced over several issues, including brake malfunctions
- In May, Ford recalled 273,000 cars over a potentially dangerous brake issue
- In April, 148,000 Ford cars were recalled over fears of a fire risk
- And in March, the brand recalled one model over gearbox problems
Another asked, “Did the Mustang Mach E just get disowned from the Stang Family??”
“The Mach E Mustang is a bit of a different story since it’s just an SUV with the Mustang badge, I wouldn’t call it a real Mustang,” said a third.
MONEY TALKS
Those who believe the Mach-E is a true Mustang have been supported by the company’s sales victories over internal combustion engine models.
Ford sold 7,226 Mach-E units this August, up 35.3% from August 2024’s figures, per Electrek.
ICE Mustangs sold 3,235 units in the same time period, being outsold at well over a 2:1 ratio by their EV extended family.
Ford Mustang Mach-E front 3/4 view[/caption]
Ford Mustang Mach-E rear 3/4 view[/caption]
These impressive Mach-E sales figures, combined with its cultural reception, highlight a certain sect of people who have accepted the electric vehicle as a true Mustang, despite not being a traditional Mustang sports car.
FORD’S FUTURE
Farley’s words could still come true if Ford chooses to abandon its electric vehicle endeavors, as several other manufacturers have.
Some of the biggest names amongst those who’ve turned back on previous EV promises are General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Aston Martin.
However, the brand’s current plans suggest that it will not follow suit in its competitors’ moves back towards ICE platforms.
The manufacturer recently killed off two of its most iconic SUV models in order to bolster its plans for a future electric fleet.
“Ford is going to deliver what no other automaker has been able to: a family of affordable, adaptable electric vehicles that offer multiple body styles for work and play — including for export — and whose LFP (lithium-iron-phosphate) batteries will be assembled in America, not imported from China,” Farley said in August 2025.
The Mach-E may soon leave its Mustang heritage and title behind[/caption]
