The Mustang Mach-E has proven popular since its launch in early 2021, helping to prop up Ford’s lagging internal combustion engine (ICE) sales in recent months.
Its popularity has exceed Ford’s expectations and they have been forced to stop taking orders for the 2022 model year as demand has outpaced supply in North America.
But the story might have been different had CEO Jim Farley not stepped in during the EVs early stages of development.
In 2017, when Farley was in charge of Ford’s global markets business, he was not impressed when he saw an early design sketch of the Mach-E. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Farley didn’t like the design because it reminded him of a Toyota Prius, not something you want when you are putting the Mustang brand behind it.
“It looks like a Prius. That’s a joke. What are we doing?” he said.
With Farley’s disgust apparent, the prototype was eventually scrapped and Ford’s designers had to start from scratch. That decision didn’t come without consequences, as it delayed the release of the Mach-E by several months, Farley explained.
Even with the popularity of the Mach-E, it is not a big cash-cow for the automaker. In fact, due to rising inflation, Ford is no longer making a profit on the Mach-E.
Ford notifies dealers to stop selling Mustang Mach-E ahead of safety recall
