The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E is in its first generation with an all-new hybrid/electric addition to the Mustang family. It will be offered as a fully electric vehicle, with a choice of two battery packs and either rear- or all-wheel drive. The 2021 Tesla Model Y is essentially a taller version of the Model 3 with a long driving range, engaging performance, and great cargo capacity. Let’s look at both.
Design
The Mach-E seats five passengers comfortably, offering plenty of head and legroom for everyone, with more room than most competitors. It’s trunk space features two trunks – one in the front and one in the rear. The one in the front is known as a “frunk” and has enough space for a carry-on bag, shopping bags, or muddy gear, with 4.8 cubic feet of space. A convenient drainage function also allows you to hose it clean. The rear trunk offers 29 cubic feet of space, which is enough space for most of your needs. If you fold the back seats down, you will get up to 60 cubic feet. There are many available luxury features, such as customizable ambient interior lighting, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and a panoramic sunroof. A convenient floating flip-up armrest on the front center console allows a purse or other items to be stored.
The 2021 Tesla Model Y is a luxury hybrid and electric SUV, featuring spacious, comfortable seats in the first two rows with plenty of head- and legroom, and newly optional third-row seats. In its standard two-row configuration, the Model Y seats five people and with its added third row option, it lets you seat two additional people. It has premium materials, modern styling and it features standard synthetic leather upholstery, heated front seats, and heated rear seats. The Tesla Model Y has a small front trunk and a larger rear cargo area, making 68 cubic feet of space when you fold all the seats down.
Safety and Technology
The Mach-E keeps current with the new SYNC 4 infotainment system. This user-friendly system is intelligent and adaptive, making it easy to personalize your driving experience, while allowing for multiple driver profiles. It offers a giant central touchscreen mounted in the center of the car that controls the car’s primary functions and a second screen in front of the driver displays the speed and range. The Mach-E runs software through the large touchscreen that allows for easy access to the system’s array of apps and features. This also allows Ford to give over-the-air updates and add new content to improve its system. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also compatible with this system. Ford’s standard Ford Co-Pilot360 offers a suite of advanced safety features, including blind spot monitoring, frontal collision warning with automatic braking, and lane keep assist. An optional new hands-free automated driving system called Active Drive Assist can take over driving responsibilities on approved roads.
Several advanced safety features come standard in the Tesla Model Y, but they are mostly bundled in Tesla’s Autopilot system. It includes forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, sensors all around the vehicle, surround-view parking camera system, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, and parallel and perpendicular park assist. Autopilot also lets the Model Y steer and accelerate within its lane. Available advanced safety features include automatic parking, automatic lane change, stop sign and traffic light recognition, and summoning your car. These are all featured in the Full Self-Driving Capability. The Tesla features apps for streaming services like Spotify, but there is no smartphone integration beyond Bluetooth, such as Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Standard infotainment features include a 15-inch touch screen, navigation, wireless device charging, a Wi-Fi hotspot, four USB ports, HD Radio, along with Bluetooth and a 14-speaker stereo.
Power and Price
The Mach-E provides 300 miles of driving range when paired with the extended-range battery and rear-wheel drive. The new all-wheel-drive system ranges 270 miles, and it can apply torque independently to the front and rear axles to deliver impressive acceleration and improved handling (available with either a standard range battery or an extended range pack). The sporty GT model makes 459 horsepower and 612 lb-ft or torque and the less powerful models make between 255 and 332 horsepower and between 206 and 417 lb-ft of torque. The Standard Range Mach-E with rear-wheel drive will give you 105 MPGe in the city and 93 MPGe on the highway. Pricing starts at $42,895 for the Select model, $49,800 for the California Route 1, $47,000 for the Premium model, and $60,500 for the GT model.
Tesla Model Y has an electric drivetrain consisting of two electric motors, a lithium-ion battery, and all-wheel drive. The Long Range estimates 131 MPG in the city and 117 MPGe on the highway, and the Performance trim will give you 115/106 MPGe city/highway. The Model Y Performance will get an all-electric range of 303 miles and 326 miles for the Long Range. Tesla’s fastest charge time comes with Tesla’s supercharger stations, which will give you 158 miles of range in 15 minutes. However, Tesla’s at home battery with a 120-volt power outlet can take several days of charging to completely recharge. Its Wall Connector, with a 240-volt outlet, will reduce that time to about 10 or 11 hours. The Long Range model has a starting price of $51,490 and the Performance model has a starting price of $60,990.
Overall
The hybrid/electric 2021 Mustang Mach-E and 2021 Tesla Model Y is our future in automobiles. These electric vehicles deliver sporty handling and add a unique trunk space up front, as well as plenty of cargo room. Mustang features an up-to-date infotainment system, impressive acceleration, and an upscale cabin at a lower base starting price, while the Tesla Model Y offers an optional third row, more cargo room, and a longer driving range; but there is no smartphone integration.