Interested in the MME, but several questions....

[Mirak]

Hi all, first post. I'm interested in buying the MME at some point in 2021. I've been driving a 2010 Fusion Hybrid since buying it new in the fall of 2009. It still drives great (now that I've software reset the battery life). I've been itching to go full electric for a few years now, but the MME appears to be the first EV that checks all my boxes: adequate range, size, and appearance at a reasonable price. The Tesla offerings to date, including Model Y, have all proved unsatisfactory concerning one or more of these criteria.

I'm interested in the Premium model for the nicer styling, glass roof, and included Active Assist Prep Kit, and I think I've got to go with the extended range battery. Most days the standard range would easily be enough, but a few times a month I'm gonna need a car that can log 200 highway miles in a go with a little extra range to spare. That seems to necessitate the extended range.

I've got a few noob questions and I would appreciate your input.

1. Will there be a significant difference in handling/safety between RWD and AWD, or other reason to opt for AWD? My concern is obviously price and slightly reduced range. I'm already going pretty deep in the hole for a Premium model with extended range battery (and let's not forget another $1k for tri-coat white and floor mats). Switching from RWD to AWD tacks on another $2,700 and cuts the range by 10%. Weather is generally pretty mild in Kansas, but we certainly get rain and a few days to a few weeks of snow/ice on the roads each winter.

2. Is a charger included in the price that will be adequate for overnight garage charging? As long as I can fully recharge my car in 7-8 hours overnight, that's fine. I don't know what "rapid charging" entails, but I can't envision a scenario where I'd need that capability in my garage and I've heard it's not great for battery life to routinely do that, anyway.

3. For the garage charging, I assume I'll want a dedicated circuit - but will I need 120v or 240v?

4. Anybody know how the ride height will compare to a more traditional crossover SUV like the Edge or Escape? I don't like sitting in low-slung sports cars. I prefer to ride a little higher on the road. I would prefer my seat be at least a couple of inches higher off the road than my current Fusion.

5. Any interior pics of a Premium model? I'm wondering what this "panoramic fixed glass roof" entails from the inside.

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[timbop]

You'll get lots of opinions, but here goes:

1. Other than the expected difference between AWD and RWD, the AWD has faster acceleration. If you haven't needed AWD until now and you don't care about 1 second faster 0-60 the RWD is better due to the added range

2. yes, although it isn't weatherproof so it's a garage-only accessory. chargers are rated in # amps they can draw, and the included charger goes to 32 amps. 32 amps will charge an ER battery from 0%-100% in about 10 hours, but you NEVER should let it get down to zero. On an ongoing basis you shouldn't go below 15% - 20%, nor charge above 80%-90%. For longer trips doing so is fine, but it is better for your battery's long term health to keep it between 20% and 80%. There are lots of opinions on this particular topic.

3. You will need at least a 40 amp 240v circuit. Since the car draws continuous load, the circuit wiring and breaker should be 25% above the amperage of the charger.

4. From what we can tell, the mach e is similar in size to the escape, but a couple inches shorter overall.

5. tons of pics. there's a whole section of the forum for them

 

[Mopey]

Agree with timbop on everything but #3. You don't NEED a 240v outlet for the charger cable that Ford includes with the MME. The charger cable they include has adapters for both 120v and 240v outlets. If your daily round-trip commute is under ~40 miles, the 3 miles per hour charging rate provided by the 120v outlet should be sufficient for you. If your daily round-trip drive is over 40 miles then you will probably want to add a 240v outlet in your garage.

 

[Mirak]

Re the AWD versus RWD, we’ve been just fine with our two front wheel drive vehicles, except for driving in downpours which can get a little dicey. But I’ve heard RWD has worse weather handling than front wheel drive. Concerns?

 

[abr]

Hi all, first post. I'm interested in buying the MME at some point in 2021. I've been driving a 2010 Fusion Hybrid since buying it new in the fall of 2009. It still drives great (now that I've software reset the battery life). I've been itching to go full electric for a few years now, but the MME appears to be the first EV that checks all my boxes: adequate range, size, and appearance at a reasonable price. The Tesla offerings to date, including Model Y, have all proved unsatisfactory concerning one or more of these criteria.

I'm interested in the Premium model for the nicer styling, glass roof, and included Active Assist Prep Kit, and I think I've got to go with the extended range battery. Most days the standard range would easily be enough, but a few times a month I'm gonna need a car that can log 200 highway miles in a go with a little extra range to spare. That seems to necessitate the extended range.

I've got a few noob questions and I would appreciate your input.

1. Will there be a significant difference in handling/safety between RWD and AWD, or other reason to opt for AWD? My concern is obviously price and slightly reduced range. I'm already going pretty deep in the hole for a Premium model with extended range battery (and let's not forget another $1k for tri-coat white and floor mats). Switching from RWD to AWD tacks on another $2,700 and cuts the range by 10%. Weather is generally pretty mild in Kansas, but we certainly get rain and a few days to a few weeks of snow/ice on the roads each winter.

2. Is a charger included in the price that will be adequate for overnight garage charging? As long as I can fully recharge my car in 7-8 hours overnight, that's fine. I don't know what "rapid charging" entails, but I can't envision a scenario where I'd need that capability in my garage and I've heard it's not great for battery life to routinely do that, anyway.

3. For the garage charging, I assume I'll want a dedicated circuit - but will I need 120v or 240v?

4. Anybody know how the ride height will compare to a more traditional crossover SUV like the Edge or Escape? I don't like sitting in low-slung sports cars. I prefer to ride a little higher on the road. I would prefer my seat be at least a couple of inches higher off the road than my current Fusion.

5. Any interior pics of a Premium model? I'm wondering what this "panoramic fixed glass roof" entails from the inside.

Tim and John answered your questions . . . agree mostly. If you aren't worried about quick charge, you can easily go with the supplied cable that comes with the car and plug into a 120 or 240 plug. That will save you around $1500 (give or take) for a charger and installation.
I have a 2010 Fusion Hybrid also - it's been great! 280k miles and still going strong . . .

 

[SnBGC]

Re the AWD versus RWD, we’ve been just fine with our two front wheel drive vehicles, except for driving in downpours which can get a little dicey. But I’ve heard RWD has worse weather handling than front wheel drive. Concerns?

Correct. RWD can be a handful compared to FWD in snow in ice. Probably not much of an issue in rainy weather though....

That being said......EVs are heavy. Having that heavy battery pack and RWD is likely to be quite different in the ice and snow compared to an ICE vehicle. I think you will be fine with RWD in your area. My very first car was a 1967 Cadillac (used of course) and it was rear wheel drive. That thing was so heavy it would handle snow and ice like a champ. Other cars were slipping and sliding off the road and I just motored by. Heavy is good in bad weather I think.

 

[timbop]

Re the AWD versus RWD, we’ve been just fine with our two front wheel drive vehicles, except for driving in downpours which can get a little dicey. But I’ve heard RWD has worse weather handling than front wheel drive. Concerns?

I've driven RWD cars for just under 30 years, and have managed. With the heavy battery low and nearer to the rear wheels relative to a front engine car you'll probably be fine. If you're worried, get the AWD.

 

[Durkle]

Some good answers already, I'll just add in a couple points.

1. The biggest difference between the RWD and AWD vehicles is performance. Sounds like you aren't all that interested in that aspect, and even the RWD here is pretty decent, so I would not bother for your situation. The major concern with RWD in snow / slippery conditions is where the weight of the vehicle is generally located. For a front-engined ICE car, most of the weight is placed on the front axle so RWD tends to have worse traction. With the Mach E, it's very close to a 50/50 weight distribution so this is a very minor concern, tied with modern traction control systems, you should have no problems in slippery conditions.

2. I think you would be surprised about how often even the supplied 30A charger will fit your needs. I'd recommend having a 14-50 outlet installed in your garage tied to a 50A breaker, and start by using the provided charger (EVSE). If you find that it's not always filling up your car overnight to your satisfaction, you can upgrade to a 40A unit with the same plug for a couple hundred dollars. If you don't need it, you've saved yourself some cash!

3. From the amount of driving it sounds like you do, would recommend a 14-50 outlet with a 50A breaker.

4. Will be close to an Escape, definitely a couple inches higher than a Fusion.

Sounds like a long range RWD Premium would suit your needs well!

 

[ChasingCoral]

1. Other than the expected difference between AWD and RWD, the AWD has faster acceleration. If you haven't needed AWD until now and you don't care about 1 second faster 0-60 the RWD is better due to the added range

To be more specific:

 

[dbsb3233]

Just a few more points... If you're going to add a 240V circuit, better to have it installed in 2020 because there's a 30% federal tax credit for it that expires year-end. Basically 30% off this year.

Ride height (driver seat off the ground) is a pretty big question for many of us. Based on a variety of clues, it appears to be a medium range for a crossover. I estimate 1-2" lower seating than an Escape. Ground clearance is low (just 5.8"), but the battery pack in the floor offsets that and raises the inside floor to a medium height.

Also, the interior space and cargo is pretty similar to an Escape, but the vehicle length is a bit longer (about 8" IIRC, more like an Edge.

 

[Woeo]

4. From what we can tell, the mach e is similar in size to the escape, but a couple inches shorter overall.

hmmmm.....might have them flipped.

Edge is 189″ L x 76″ W x 68″ H

Escape is 181″ L x 74″ W x 66″ H

Mach-E will be. 186″ L x 74″ x 63″ H

 

[Daniel M]

Lots of great information now. The only other thing I would suggest is to order right away if you want the car in 2021! There are a lot of reservations and interest in the car is exploding.

 

[TheLight75]

Couple quick things:

• Get a 240V 50-amp circuit installed. It's well worth it in the end, rather than hoping to get by with a 120V charger. If you're getting a new circuit installed, might as well make it 50-amp (with 6/3 wire) rather than 40-amp so you'll be good to go for a number of years.
• Snow performance in an EV: I *HIGHLY* recommend using winter tires in areas where the temp goes below 55F consistently. The all season tires typically used on EV's are focused mostly on minimizing rolling resistance and tend to lose traction once the temp drops below 55F due to the compounds used in them. Last year, driving in the snow in my Kona EV with all season's was scary: lots of sliding at stops. I had a set of Michelin X-Ice Xi3's put on and it was AMAZING how much better my Kona stuck to the road. I drove up to Montreal during a blizzard and had no problem maintaining grip at 45-50 mph on roads that were covered in snow. I expect to do the same when I eventually get my MME.

 

[ChasingCoral]

Couple quick things:

• Get a 240V 50-amp circuit installed. It's well worth it in the end, rather than hoping to get by with a 120V charger. If you're getting a new circuit installed, might as well make it 50-amp (with 6/3 wire) rather than 40-amp so you'll be good to go for a number of years.

If your box has room for it, I'd recommend a 60A circuit so you can install the Ford Connected Charging Station if you wish. It is a 48A charger which means you need a 60A circuit (load *1.25).

If your box won't handle a 60A circuit, go as high as you can and that will determine the charger you can install.

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