Experiencing the 2026 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT California Special outside of California.
Ford
More than five years ago I first drove the all-new Ford Mustang Mach-E. The first electric Mustang came out in late 2020, and I was in the front seat driving around the San Francisco Bay Area as the pandemic raged on that following January. It was an electrifying experience, not just because it was the first electric Mustang, but because everyone around me was intrigued about the famous nameplate ditching its engine.
Five years later I drove the same vehicle for about a week in New York, but the latest 2026 version and more specifically the new GT California Special variant. Maybe only I had changed, but everything about the vehicle felt better and less special—in a good way. It felt like a dependable, well-adjusted EV that could zip through Queens-Midtown Tunnel traffic and easily enough pull into a tight Manhattan parking spot without causing much fanfare.
While still on the same platform as the original and at its essence the Mach-E is a close copy of its original version with the same strange back door “fin” handles, the 2026 GT felt like a better version. Most noticeable was the user interface on the touchscreen and digital displays. I also noted, happily, that it was a more comfortable driving experience both performance and seating-wise. Hands-free BlueCruise kicking on while on the freeway also helped bolster my view of the ride.
This month Ford confirmed that the Mach-E will stay behind as the company moves its future EV lineup to the new Universal EV Platform. While that doesn’t bode well for future Mach-Es, what’s currently available is a strong option in a crowded electric compact SUV space.
Ford's California EV on the streets of New York.
Sasha Lekach
In 2021, hands-free driving with Ford’s BlueCruise wasn’t a readily available option. One of the first things I did with the 2026 version was take it on a mini road trip out of the city. Freeway driving was immediately improved with what felt like another set of eyes on the road. The Mach-E even made some somewhat-aggressive lane changes for me, maybe trying to keep up with the New York road culture.
Ford has improved the battery on some trims, and the range on the GT California Special is like other GT models at 280 miles on a 90 kWh battery. That comes with 480 horsepower and 700 pound-feet of torque, which I especially felt in its three drive modes: Whisper, Engage and Unbridled.
The battery can now be charged at Tesla Supercharger stations with a fast-charging NACS adapter, a huge benefit from the 2021 version.
When I drove the original Mach-E the touchscreen experience was still figuring itself out. It felt glitchy and somewhat unfinished, likely because it was such an early version. But five years later, software updates and user experience feedback has shaped the software. The built-in mapping and route guidance wasn’t unbearable and it mostly felt intuitive to find and use different menu options. The same physical dial improved the now-expected touchscreen-only experience and encouraged me to use the native interface instead of immediately switching to Apple CarPlay.
The Pony illuminated Manhattan's streets.
Ford
Driving in New York requires a nimble vehicle, and I was surprised that a car with nearly 30 cubic-feet of trunk space and 38.1 inches of back row leg room felt like it could make sudden movements.
Comfort also felt improved with the front seating almost like a race vehicle with reassuring bolstering. The feel on the road was smoother than I had remembered, and just generally felt like an improved quiet EV driving experience.
It seems impossible, but the 2026 Mach-E starts at a lower price point across all trim levels than the 2021 models. For the GT I drove this year, the base price is just under $53,400. A similar GT in 2021 started at just under $60,000. In the intervening five years that $59,900 Mach-E GT should be closer to $70,000 in 2026. Like I said, the 2026 Mustang Mach-E is better.
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