Ford Australia has reported selling hundreds of units of the new Mustang Mach-E. However, the company acknowledges that it’s unlikely to rival the Tesla Model Y (pictured above) in terms of electric car sales.
The Tesla Model Y is the best-selling passenger car so far this year in Australia, beating both electric and gas-powered competitors. Tesla sold 3,811 Model Y units in Australia in September, bringing this year’s total to 23,457.
Despite its premium price, the Model Y has surpassed other popular passenger cars like the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and the budget-friendly MG ZS SUV.
Due to the higher price of the Ford Mustang Mach-E compared to the Model Y, industry analysts predict that customer demand for the Mach-E will be considerably lower compared to the Model Y. The Mach-E starts at $79,990 AU. Meanwhile, the Model Y starts at $65,400 AU.
Ford’s goal with the Mach-E is to attract new buyers to the brand. Data from overseas indicates that almost two-thirds of Mach-E customers have never owned a Ford before.
When asked about the possibility of the Mustang Mach-E challenging the Tesla Model Y in terms of sales, a Ford spokesperson told reporters, “That’s not necessarily our target.” According to the spokesman, the fact that the Mach-E is Ford’s first fully electric passenger vehicle is an achievement in itself.
As Ford gives up trying to outsell the Model Y in Australia, it’s also being crushed by Tesla in other markets. According to InsideEVs, Tesla sold 200,000 Model Y units in the US in the first half of 2023. This was almost 15 times greater than the Mach-E’s 13,600 US sales.
In addition, Ford is suffering massively from the ongoing United Auto Workers strike. Ford CEO Jim Farley recently stated that union demands could cause Ford to scrap its electric vehicle transition altogether.
