American car companies are continuing to churn out new electric vehicles. But many are turning away from compact and affordable EVs in order to focus on the types of cars American consumers seem to favor: pickup trucks and SUVs.
The latest example of this trend is a new car being released by Ford: an all-electric Mustang SUV designed to look — and, allegedly, perform — like a rally car.
Popular Science described the Mustang Mach-E Rally as "the first Mustang built for dirt and speed together [and Ford's] first foray into all-electric rally racing."
However, some of the car-enthusiast commenters on Inside EVs' story about the EV were dubious about the new electric Mustang's off-roading capabilities.
"Needs to be qualified with 'smooth dirt road' because the ground clearance is still quite low," one commenter wrote.
"Maybe the Mach-E Rally would be capable of some off-roading but not where high clearances would be necessary," another wrote. "I doubt that a 2.5 ton SUV would handle well in a true high-speed rally race in which much smaller, lighter cars seem to excel. So what is the Mach-E Rally really good for other than its tougher looks?"
Ford's official website doesn't go quite so far as to say that the car can be driven on dirt or used for rally car racing. Rather, it attests that the Mustang Mach-E Rally is "designed for agile performance on loose surfaces like gravel, [and] can now go with confidence where the pavement ends."
The new model comes soon after Ford recently cut the price of its non-rally Mustang Mach-E EV twice over the last year, down to $46,995.
The Bolt, and another recently discontinued EV, the Nissan Leaf, have been priced new at around $27,000-$30,000. Chevy's and Ford's EV pickups are all selling for over $50,000, and Nissan is reportedly considering one, too — albeit at a more compact size.
Regardless of whether this new rally-inspired car, which starts at $42,995, can actually be used for dirt road racing, the trend here seems clear: EVs, especially American-made ones, are now leaning heavily into an Americana aesthetic.
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