There is something appropriately Western about pointing a Mustang north out of Denver at 6:30 in the morning and not turning around until reaching Wyoming.
This Mustang, however, didn’t burn a drop of gasoline.
My Desert Sand 2026 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally test vehicle instead carried a 91-kWh usable-capacity extended-range battery, two electric motors and enough performance to make the trip up Interstate 25 considerably more entertaining than the ordinary airport run.
And unlike my first encounter with a Mach-E, this was something of a reunion.
I previously had a Mustang Mach-E as a company vehicle for roughly two years, from 2022 to 2024. That gave me considerably more familiarity with Ford’s electric crossover than the usual weeklong press-car test. Returning to the Mach-E in 2026 offered an opportunity to see how the vehicle has matured.
The short answer: quite a bit.
A Mustang with a different kind of muscle
The Rally sits at the adventurous end of the Mach-E lineup. Its dual-motor electric all-wheel-drive system produces 480 horsepower and 700 pound-feet of torque, while Ford gives it a rallycross-tuned MagneRide suspension and Brembo front brakes. EPA-estimated range is 255 miles.
My test vehicle started as a GT eAWD and carried the $5,350 Mustang Mach-E Rally package. Its Desert Sand paint, Rally graphics, raised rear spoiler and red brake calipers give it a decidedly more extroverted personality than the garden-variety electric crossover.
And despite the Mustang nameplate debate that has accompanied the Mach-E since its introduction, there is nothing timid about its acceleration. Mash the accelerator and 700 pound-feet arrive with the immediacy that remains one of the great delights of high-performance EVs.
The Rally isn’t merely a straight-line machine, either. Its specialized MagneRide suspension is designed to give this version more capability away from pristine pavement while maintaining the planted feel expected of a performance-oriented Mustang.
Colorado runs out before the electrons do
For this test, I wanted distance rather than city streets.
I left Denver at approximately 6:30 a.m. and headed north on I-25, through Colorado’s northern Front Range and toward Wyoming.
The dashboard showed 276 miles of estimated range at departure. Importantly, that wasn’t from a freshly completed 100-percent charge because I had already driven the vehicle.
I kept going until Colorado disappeared beneath the tires.
After crossing the Wyoming state line and venturing a little farther north, I turned around. One photo commemorated the arrival beside a “Welcome to Wyoming” sign. Heading south again provided its natural companion: “Welcome to Colorful Colorado.”
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At my turnaround point, the Mach-E still indicated 193 miles of remaining range.
That doesn’t constitute a laboratory efficiency test, but it does provide useful real-world evidence. The vehicle’s indicated range declined in a manner that seemed quite consistent with the miles actually being traveled, rather than producing the kind of rapidly evaporating range estimate that can make a new EV driver nervous.
Ford rates the Rally at 255 miles on a full charge, while emphasizing that temperature, speed, driving style and other conditions affect actual range.
The Monroney label puts efficiency at 84 MPGe combined, 89 city and 78 highway, with energy consumption rated at 40 kWh per 100 miles.
Wyoming wasn’t the end of the test
My itinerary added another real-life wrinkle.
Coming south from Wyoming, I didn’t simply return the Mach-E to Denver. I headed onto E-470 toward Denver International Airport because I had a flight to Albuquerque.
The Ford went into airport parking while I went airborne.
After returning, I climbed back into the Mach-E and completed the drive to my original starting point. That mundane portion of the experiment may be almost as meaningful to an EV buyer as the trip to Wyoming.
An electric vehicle has to function not merely as an interesting piece of technology, but as a car. Drive it on an interstate. Take it to the airport. Park it. Fly somewhere. Come back. Get in and continue with your life.
The Mach-E did exactly that.
Turns out you can take a Mustang to Wyoming without feeding the pony a single gallon of gasoline.
Saturday Drive Specs
Vehicle: 2026 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally
Power: 480 hp, 700 lb-ft
Battery: 91-kWh usable extended-range
Drive: Dual-motor eAWD
EPA range: 255 miles | EPA efficiency: 84 MPGe combined, 89 city/78 highway
Charging: 11-kW AC onboard charger; up to 150-kW DC fast charging
Seating: 5
MSRP as tested: $63,610
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 303-667-3995
The news and editorial staffs of The Denver Post had no role in this post’s preparation.
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