The all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E looks to be one step closer to hitting the New Zealand market – though the brand is remaining coy.
On January 26 , the ‘Mustang Mach-E’ name was submitted to the New Zealand intellectual property office for trade mark. The application is currently pending approval.
An approved trade mark does not necessarily mean the Mach-E is guaranteed to be sold here. In fact, Ford New Zealand is staying under the radar about it all, saying the application is merely routine.
“Ford, as well as most other brands, routinely trade mark names to protect IP. It’s not an indication of future product for our market,” a Ford spokesperson told NZ Autocar.
Still, in October, Ford New Zealand general manager Simon Rutherford said it was only a matter of time before the Mach-E was available at local dealerships.
“[The Mach-E] is exceeding performance everywhere else,” he said. “We would love to have it here, and we believe it would be extremely successful.
“It’s a case of when, not if.”
Last year, Ford mapped out its plans to add seven electrified vehicles to its local feet by 2024, one of which now appears to be the Mach-E. It is part of a broader plan by Ford to phase out a selection of pure combustion vehicles by the end of the current year.
Ford has also filed a trade mark application for the Mach-E with our neighbours across the ditch. Like New Zealand, Australia has essentially been blocked from selling the Mach-E due to extreme demand overseas.
Over 27,000 Mach-Es were sold in the US last year. Only Tesla sold more fully electric SUVs with its Model Y.
The Mach-E already comes in right-hand drive for buyers in the United Kingdom.
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