2025 Mustang Mach-E Drops with Heatpump, Small Frank, $36K Value, More

Ford has been busy with incremental updates to its popular Mustang Mach-E, and they showed off the 2025 version to journalists this week. Here's what we saw:

Ford invited us to check out the 2025 Mustang Mach-E at Monticello Speedway in New York and drive the Mach-E Rally Edition through the dirt (more on that later).

We didn't get to drive the 2025 Mustang Mach-E but we toured.

Small Frank/Heat Pump

The biggest upgrade/downgrade here is that the Mach-E now has a heat pump instead of resistance heating. Depending on how well it integrates into the vehicle's heating and cooling system, including the battery and passenger cabin, it will really help the vehicle's range, especially in extreme temperature climates. Ranges for 2025 weren't available yet, but don't expect a huge EPA bump here like last year.

Unfortunately, the heat pump system could not be packaged under the existing Mach-E bonnet without taking up some front space. You'd think Ford took some pride in building a 4.8-gallon/36 gallon Frank that allowed for tailgating and other options. Compare the much larger earlier Franks:

Ford told us that Franck isn't being used as much as they envisioned, and a significantly smaller Franck wouldn't be a big loss for the typical Mach-E customer.

I'm not sure if the issue was ease of access or using francs in general. I know the Ford F-150 Frunk is one of its biggest features and more convenient Frunks like the Rivian and Tesla's are quite popular with their owners.

I wonder if the packaging of the heat pump could have been done more elegantly to allow the Frank to keep most of its size or, better yet, to allow Ford to make an easy access Frank that could carry groceries and expand with a drain feature. Something like a refrigeration option.

Other exterior improvements include a slightly redesigned front end, which you can see above, and new color options, including Grabber Yellow, which was only available on the Rally version. Other new colors are Velocity Blue, Desert Tan and Magenta.

Internal improvements:

Perhaps the biggest experience change is moving the gear shifter from the console to the steering column, freeing up some good console space and getting rid of the polarizing “dial a gear” interface. Immediately it seems like a big improvement.

On the premium models, Ford has tweaked the red stitching and sport pedals used throughout, which certainly make the look nicer. Vented seats will also make its way across all premium models.

Ford has made some improvements to the charging interface that will also be available on earlier versions of the Mach-E via a software update.

New Ford Connectivity Package

The new Ford Connect package includes:

• Wi-Fi® Hotspot: 5G Wi-Fi keeps drivers and their families online and connected while on the road. It can be used for up to 10 personal devices and extends up to 50 feet from the car, great for camping or tailgating.
• Apps: Access apps through the car screen to watch YouTube or sing karaoke in the car while parked. Occupants can stream their favorite audio entertainment apps via Alexa.
• Maps: Access connected navigation to get you where you need to go with features like EV trip planner, predictive destinations and route guidance.

Finally, BlueCruise 1.5 will be available on 2025 Mustang Mach-Es that will include automatic lane change. Ford says it will automate up to 50% of lane changes while in Blue Cruise.

The 'one more thing' is the starting price which will now be: $36,495 for a base model. Other prices have not yet been disclosed.

Adoption of Electrek

I like every update here (except for the little Frank), but I have to wonder if Ford is iterating fast enough to keep up with the competition. In particular, Tesla's Model Y looks quite competitive, even though it now has a starting price of $8000 more.