Quick EV Comparison: Ford's Mach-E vs. the Tesla Model Y

author: Manish Kharinta   

Tesla's mercurial Chief Executive Elon Musk once predicted that the company's market cap will eventually be equal to that of computer giant Apple Inc. Tesla has come a long way since Musk made his famous claim, and the California electric car maker is now the world's most valuable car company with a net worth topping $800 billion.

Tesla's newest vehicle the Model Y crossover is one of the most popular vehicles in the company's portfolio thanks to the growing popularity of the crossover segment, especially in the U.S. 

Therefore it's not surprising that U.S. automaker Ford Motor Co has positioned its first electrified offering, the Mustang Mach-E as a direct rival to Tesla's battery-powered Model Y. So let's take a look at how the two electric vehicles fare against each other.

Technology

The Model Y does not benefit from Tesla's more limited scaling and distribution capability, which legacy automakers like Ford have perfected over the years. However, the Model Y's advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) and battery technology is much more advanced than any other electric vehicle available today.

For example, Model Y customers can opt for Tesla's "Autosteer" feature, an option costing $10,000 that takes over driving operations on city streets. However, initial reports suggest Ford's Mach-E automated driving software suite is not as refined as that of Model Y, but the Mach-E supports OTA updates that might offer improvements over time.

Comfort and Convenience

The interior of the Tesla Model Y is quite minimalist, which has become a signature design style for Tesla. In fact, the Model Y interior is one of the most basic cabins in the segment. 

The Model Y's cabin features a giant touchscreen infotainment system that dominates the center of the dashboard that controls most vehicle systems. The only physical buttons are a couple of toggle switches on the steering wheel.

The Mach-E's center-mounted infotainment screen is half an inch bigger than the one in Model Y, measuring 15.5 inches across.

Tesla's Model Y crossover features a minimalist interior design.

Tesla's vehicle operating system is also extremely customizable and allows the occupants to personalize almost every setting, including the flow of the air from the HVAC vents. The software even remembers personalized driver profiles and can reconfigure settings according to pre-programmed user-specific preferences.

Whereas the interior of the Ford Mach-E is striking, but it's also more traditional than Tesla's offering. The cabin of Mustang Mach-E includes multiple galloping Mustang badges, which reflects its sportscar heritage. 

The Mach-E also features a more conventional instrument panel display for the driver in front of the steering wheel. Ford's Mach-E also gets conventional controls for adjusting the steering wheel, volume controls, glove box, and side mirrors. 

In addition, the Mustang Mach-E comes equipped with a 360-degree exterior camera, which is not offered in the Model Y. The Mach-E also gets Apple CarPlay as standard. The Tesla Model Y does not offer Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

Performance & Price

Ford is currently developing a rival for the more powerful Performance version of Tesla Model Y, which will be called the Mach-E GT. Customers can expect Ford's high-performance EV to hit dealerships later in the summer. 

According to EPA estimates, the Premium Extended Range Rear-Wheel Drive variant of Ford Mustang Mach-E can travel up to 300 miles on a charge. For comparison, the Long Range Model Y delivers an EPA estimated 326 miles of range. The Standard Range Model Y offers an EPA estimated range of 244 miles per charge. 

Both Long Range Model Y and Extended Range Mach-E take 4.8 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 MPH. 

Prices for the Tesla Model Y start at $48,490, while the entry-level variant of the Mach-E costs $42,895, which gives Ford a slight advantage on price.

Tesla's Model Y will not face competition from the Mach-E until later this year. The battery-powered SUV from Ford is expected to go on sale later this year as a 2021 model.

Manish Kharinta

Manish Kharinta is a automotive writer based in the Los Angeles area. He has worked for automotive industry websites TheSmokingClutch.com, CarDekho.com and CarBikeindia.com. His experience ranges from covering auto shows, to car reviews and breaking automotive news. Manish aims to bring forth his unique perspective on automotive design and technological innovations in the automotive industry.