Mustang Mach-E ranked above Tesla Model 3 in EV of the year report

Ford's all-electric Mustang Mach-E has beaten Tesla's popular Model 3 to be ranked as the top electric vehicle for 2022.

According to American independent product testing organisation Consumer Reports, the Ford Mustang Mach-E has been rated as the best EV on sale this year, based on factors such as road-test scores, predicted reliability, owner satisfaction, and safety.

It's the first time the Model 3 has lost the award in two years, with the globally popular EV still highly recommended but losing out to the Mustang on practicality, reliability and handling.

3

Ford Mustang Mach-E

Consumer Reports said the Tesla Model Y was more comparable to the Mach-E than the Model 3, although reliability issues for the SUV kept it away from claiming the top gong.

"Within the Tesla family, the Model Y is more similar to the Mach-E than the Model 3, and it even outscores the Ford in our road tests," the report said.

"But the Model Y’s reliability has been much worse than average, which has kept it out of our Top Picks. Specifically, owners reported problems with the Model Y concerning paint, body integrity, body hardware, power equipment, and the climate control system."

3

Tesla Model 3

Another strong point of consideration for the Mach-E to be awarded the top pick was its active driving assistance and driver monitoring systems, rated higher than Tesla's Autopilot program which allows users to continue driving when not paying attention to the road.

"The Ford Mustang Mach-E gains [two] points because its BlueCruise active driving assistance system has an effective driver monitoring system that gives appropriate warnings when the driver’s attention wanders.

"On the other hand, Tesla’s Autopilot system can still be used if the driver is looking away or using a phone, as long as there is at least one hand resting on the steering wheel."

The Tesla Model 3 is Australia's most popular EV with 12,094 units sold locally last year – or 6945 examples more than every other manufacturer's fully-electric sales combined.

Currently sold out globally in right-hand-drive guise, the Mustang Mach-E has been rumoured to join Ford's Australian line-up, as an uncovered trademark application hints at a local launch potentially coming in the next few years.