The world of automotive tuning is going to start looking very different as it begins to encompass the world of electric cars. Last week, Nissan hinted to us that purchasable software upgrades that uncork more power could be a pathway into EV tuning, and now that very thing has become a reality on the Ford Mustang Mach-E GT.
The news came on LinkedIn from Chet Dhruna, Ford’s general manager of integrated services, who announced that a Performance Upgrade is being launched for the range-topping GT version of the Mach-E that unlocks an extra 100lb ft of torque.
This takes the torque figure from 600 to 700lb ft, although peak horsepower from the dual-motor, all-wheel drive EV remains unchanged at 480bhp. Dhruna says this makes the 0-60mph sprint possible in 3.3 seconds – a drop of half a second – and that such equipped, the Mach-E will run a quarter-mile in 11.8 seconds at 114mph.
In the US, the upgrade is already available as an option when configuring a new Mustang Mach-E GT on Ford’s website, costing $995 (approximately £777). More interestingly, though, it’s available for existing owners to buy and activate through the company’s FordPass app, allowing buyers to effectively download some extra performance for their car.
Ford Mustang Mach-E GT – detail
While this seems like decent value for money, it does beg the question of why Ford didn’t just offer the Mach-E GT with 700lb ft out of the box if the motors are capable of producing it.
Then again, using electronics to extract more performance from a car is nothing new, with plenty of aftermarket companies upping power from internal combustion engines through nothing more than fiddling with the ECU’s software.
Ford Mustang Mach-E GT – rear
It’s nothing particularly new in the world of EVs, either – both the Mercedes EQE and Polestar 2 offer similar paid, over-the-air performance upgrades. The Mustang Mach-E’s upgrade appears to be limited to North America for now, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see it appear in other markets soon.
