Unless youve been living under an especially virulent rock, it will not have escaped your notice that Ford introduced the all-electric Mustang Mach-E earlier this week in Los Angeles. Any serious entrant into the EV market is a big deal these days, especially one from the Detroit Three, a group frequently accused (sometimes unfairly) of being perpetually behind the eight-ball.This alone would have undoubtedly set tongues wagging. Once the build team confirmed they decided to call this all-electric crossover a Mustang, the conversation went into orbit.Public reaction was as swift as it was predictable. Online comments from the Twitterverse ranged from an SUV is not a Mustang, to this will not resonate. One user proclaimed the Mustang Mach E to be an Edsel-level failure in terms of marketing, a comment that will surely sting anyone at the Blue Oval whos read that particular case study.Now that its been revealed, how do you feel about Ford calling the Mach-E a Mustang? #MustangMachE driving.ca (@drivingdotca) November 18, 2019The EV Association of Alberta, not exactly a group given to wild and untamed pronouncements, said on Twitter Ford certainly took a risk naming it after the iconic sports car at a minimum, it has sparked much conversation. We hope the vehicle sells for Ford, but perhaps a different name would have avoided alienating a large number of Ford fansThat statement is one of the more measured and thoughtful weve seen; its also the most correct. Ford did take a plunge into the unknown by affixing the Mustang name to this car, a decision that has indeed sparked much conversation. There is a case to be made Ford knew it needed all the buzz they could get after all, the Glass House does not enjoy the same rabid fan base as a certain other EV company whose name begins with T and ends in esla.In a sidebar with Automotive News, it apparently took a great deal of convincing to get Bill Ford himself on board with calling the Mach-E a Mustang. I certainly wasnt sold at the beginning far from it, said Ford to AN. I said, No, Im sorry, I dont want to hurt the brand. This is not going to be a Mustang.So what changed? A lap in an early prototype, apparently. After absorbing the specs on paper, Bill Ford said he saw the performance characteristics and driving dynamics evolve as time went on to the point where he could concede Yeah, this is a Mustang.Not everyone was on board, apparently. Our own feet on the ground during the cars introduction told us that, during the product presentation, Ford copped to the fact a few Mustang boffins within the company were decidedly hands-off. When a reporter asked You selected a pretty wide and talented team of previous Mustang engineers to work on this Mach-E. Were there any that were asked to work on the project and refused? the answer from Ford was Oh, definitely, an admission that definitely falls in the category of Things That Make You Go Hmmm.Vintage behind-the-scenes photograph of Carroll Shelby and the Ford Mustang SHELB-E during the filming of Ford vs Tesla. (Non colorized) pic.twitter.com/SmT7nAm6xd McMike (@_McMike_) November 19, 2019Theres been a proliferation of nicknames for the SUV already, including the obvious papier mâché pun, plus suggestions for alternatives. If the petition to change the name from “Mustang Mach E” reaches the ears of higher-ups at FoMoCo, perhaps theyll consider instead calling it the Lincoln Mark-E, or, as writer Rory Carroll offered on Twitter, the Galax-E.Well leave the final word to jokester McMike on Twitter, who mashed up a photo of a young Carroll Shelby standing next to the Mach-E. A pair of EV crossovers, both with boatloads of chutzpah and similar all-electric range? Ford vs. Tesla,
Origin: Wild horses: The internet reacts to Ford’s 2021 Mustang Mach-E