In a sign that Tesla's (TSLA) tight grip on the electric vehicle market may be loosening a little, Consumer Reports chose a Ford (F) offering as its top EV pick of 2022.
For the last two years, that coveted spot belonged to the Elon Musk-founded EV company's Model 3 -- a basic model that launched in 2017 and remains the world's top-selling electric car.
Each year, the product-testing nonprofit sends out staff members to independently evaluate factors such as drivability, cost and safety in order to rank the EVs currently on the market and determine a top pick.
"Tesla has dominated the electric vehicle category, with the Model 3 holding the EV Top Pick honor for the past two years," Consumer Reports said in a release announcing its rankings. "But now the Ford Mustang Mach-E has earned the accolade based on its Overall Score, which factors road-test score, predicted reliability, owner satisfaction, and safety."
What Is The Mustang Mach-E?
Ford first announced that it was launching an electric SUV in 2019; by December 2020, models of the Mustang Mach-E had begun selling for a base price of $42,895.
The company's first all-electric SUV, the Mustang Mach-E has a spacious SUV interior, a range of up to 305 miles and a larger 93-kWh battery pack. According to Consumer Reports, it more fair to compare it to Tesla's Model Y — an SUV model that has faced user complaints over its paint, body hardware, power equipment, and climate control systems. The Model Y is currently one of several models facing recalls over software problems.
"Conversely, our members have reported very few problems with the Mustang Mach-E so far, giving it an important advantage over the Model Y and even the Model 3," reads the report.
Ford
If We're All Going Electric, How Much Do EV Rankings Matter?
Regardless of which EV is deemed "the best," our driving is quickly moving in that direction — six out of the seven car ads shown during the Super Bowl were of an electric vehicle while the number of electric cars sold rose by 109% between 2021 and 2020.
Brands from Volkswagen (VLKAF) to Kia (KIMTF) and General Motors (GM) are all pouring massive amounts of money into developing new EV models. By 2030, the total market is expected to quadruple to $957.42 billion. Consumer Reports also predicts that, by 2030, there will also be as many as 15 electric vehicle models on the market — a plethora of choice that will make it more and more difficult to figure out which one is "the best."
"Make no mistake, the Model 3 is still a great choice, and Consumer Reports recommends it," Consumer Reports writes. "[...] But the Mustang Mach-E is also very sporty, plus it’s more practical and easier to live with."
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