Ford Motor Company Before World War I

The Ford Motor Company began in 1903 as a brainchild of Henry Ford and 11 other stockholders. The company was restructured from the failing Detriot Automobile Company seven years after Henry Ford built his first car, a gasoline-powered vehicle known as the Quadricycle. It ran on a four-horsepower engine and was steered with a tiller, not a steering wheel.

The newly found Ford Motor Company sold its first car, the Ford Model A, on July 23, 1903, after spending all of its $28,000-investment on production. But by the time it was 1908, Ford had introduced the famously successful Model T.

The Model T was a sturdy and affordable machine, a not-very-common feat of engineering at the time. Whereas manufacturers then built most cars for luxury, Ford built this car from tough vanadium steel alloy, allowing it to travel the undeveloped roads of the time. There was so much demand for the Model T that the company had made a little over 10,000 cars in its first year. The Model T forced the company to move to a bigger plant and come up with new production methods to meet the demand.

By 1913, the Ford Motor Company had streamlined the craft of assembling so well that they had reduced a 12-hour production time to less than three hours. Later that year, they still managed to reduce the time to about an hour and a half. One of Ford’s productivity elements was increasing the daily wage from $2.34 to $5. Thanks to the efficiency of the assembly line, he could reduce the price of the Model T touring car from $850 to a little less than $300 in 1925.

While many think that Ford’s international activity started in 1911 with the opening of the production plant in Manchester, England, they had really started their international activity in 1904 with Ford Motor Company of Canada. Ford built the production plant in Windsor (then known as Walkerville), Ontario. It was positioned across the Detriot River, near other Ford facilities. However, the Canadian quarter was an autonomous structure, with different investors from the one in the US. Its purpose was to reach the market in Canada and the British Empire.

By the end of 1918, Ford Motor Company had started producing cars in Ireland, England, and France. Not long after, other European companies joined the Ford sphere of influence, such as Denmark, Austria, and Germany. Before 1925, Ford had factories in Argentina, South Africa, Australia, and even Japan.

Perhaps one of the most significant feats of Ford’s early history was the construction of the River Rouge Complex in Dearborn, Michigan. But before Henry Ford built the plant, the stockholders were against the idea of this expensive plant. Consequently, Henry Ford bought their shares, and Edsel Ford (Henry Ford’s son) assumed the title of president of the company in 1919.

They built the River Rouge Complex to contain everything necessary for car production; glass and tire factories, steel mills, a power plant, and a depot for rubber, iron ore, lumber, and coal.

By the time World War I had begun, the Rouge Complex was ready to roll out boats, cars, trucks, airplane engines, and other necessary vehicles to support the Allies in the war.

Ford Mustang Mach-E Electric SUV

Drawing on the iconic heritage of the Mustang, Ford introduced its first all-electric member of the Mustang family with the 2021 Mach-E electric SUV. The 2021 model combined the outstanding performance of a traditional Mustang with the power of both standards and extended range battery options.

With the standard range option, drivers can rely on a 68 kWh battery and a dynamic electric motor capable of 266 horsepower of performance output. To maximize performance, buyers can opt for the extended range 88 kWh battery, which offers 480 horsepower and up to 630 feet of torque.

Along with enhanced performance options, the Ford Mustang Mach-E offers the potential for various range outputs. Buyers can choose from multiple batteries and drivetrains, depending on their unique needs. For example, the standard range battery with rear-wheel drive can drive for 230 miles before recharging, while the extended range rear-wheel drive option extends the range to 300 miles. After Tesla, the Mach-E was the first electric car to earn the designation of 300 miles of EPA-rated range.

The Mustang Mach-E provides fast charging capabilities. The standard range 68 kWh battery needs just 38 minutes to charge from ten percent to 80 percent, and the extended range 88 kWh needs just 45 minutes to increase its charge by 70 percent.

Technically classified as a crossover, the Mustang Mach-E has a five-passenger cabin with numerous amenities, including a 1.5-inch touchscreen, an entertainment system, and creative cargo and storage solutions. Exterior features include a power liftgate, windshield wiper de-icer, and high-performance tire options.

In its first year of production, the car earned the North American Utility Vehicle of the Year™ award for Best Utility Vehicle and Car and Driver Magazine’s inaugural Electrical Vehicle of the Year. Additionally, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recognized the car’s signature lighting and auto high-beam headlamps, naming the Mach-E the IIHS Top Safety Pick among 2021 models.

Following the 2021 model, Ford implemented several key enhancements for the 2022 Mustang Mach-E. Instead of a full refresh, the company announced that it would add continual incremental updates to the model. Many of the changes will aim to improve efficiency and lower the cost of production, perhaps contributing to a lower price. This follows the model of Tesla, which implements running changes rather than saving improvements for full redesigns.

The 2022 Mustang Mach-E offers a slight increase in usable battery capacity. Compared to 305 miles for the 2021 model, the 2002 model has achieved a range of 314 miles. Different models also include specific changes. For example, a black-painted roof is standard on the 2022 GT model, as are heated front seats and steering wheel for the California 1 model. A special all-white edition is available at the Premium trim level, with the Cyber Orange and Grabber Blue paint options expanded beyond just the GT model.

By 2023, Ford plans to triple Mach-E production. Encouraged by the success of its first all-electric vehicle, the company has also announced plans to develop a full-size electric truck, which will offer high volume capability on an entirely new platform.