News
Ford cuts Mustang Mach-E prices, increases range as it re-opens orders
Ford has re-opened order banks on the Mustang Mach-E while simultaneously rolling back prices and increasing range.
The ability to order the Mustang Mach-E once again was opened because of plant upgrades that Ford completed, which will help ramp production volume in the second half of 2023.
Ford has boosted the range of the Standard Range battery models to a range of 250 miles for the Rear-Wheel-Drive powertrain, according to EPA estimates, while the e-All-Wheel-Drive (eAWD) will have 226 miles.
Standard Range models are now powered by lithium iron phosphate, or LFP battery cells, which allows the eAWD configuration to utilize 45 additional horsepower while adding the additional mileage to each trim level’s range.
LFP batteries are widely available and have helped automakers avoid supply chain issues and battery cell shortages, as other chemistries are not always in heavy supply. Additionally, LFP cells have the ability to operate more efficiently and like to be at a 100 percent state of charge, and can also charge faster.
Tesla used the same strategy with its Standard Range+ Model 3.
Elon Musk explains Tesla’s LFP Battery strategy for US Model 3 SR+
On top of the upgrades in terms of the range and new battery cell chemistries, Ford also rolled back the prices of Mustang Mach-E trims:
- Select RWD Standard Range – $42,995 (down $3,000)
- Select AWD Standard Range – $45,995 (down $3,000)
- California Route 1 AWD Extended Range – $56,995 (down $1,000)
- Premium RWD Standard Range – $46,995 (down $4,000)
- Premium AWD Standard Range – $49,995 (down $4,000)
- GT AWD Extended Range – $59,995 (down $4,000)
The price cuts come as EV brands continue to battle and refine costs to remain competitive. Tesla has routinely adjusted prices on its vehicles, and Ford has been one of the few to directly respond to the automaker with price cuts of its own on several occasions.
Chief Customer Officer of Ford’s EV unit, Model e, Marin Gjaja, commented on the automaker’s upgrades of the Mustang Mach-E:
“Upgraded BlueCruise rolling out for new and existing Mustang Mach-E owners, increased range, and faster DC charging times on standard range models show how we are relentlessly improving our products for our customers.”We continue to find ways to improve the value of the Mustang Mach-E.”
The Mustang Mach-E also qualifies for federal tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act, but not the full $7,500. Instead, it qualifies for $3,750 in potential credits.
New Mustang Mach-E purchases will have 90 days of BlueCruise included, which will allow owners to experience hands-free driving on highways. The free trial is included as Ford said the new Mustang Mach-E vehicles will be fitted with all necessary hardware for the BlueCruise capabilities.
“This provides customers the opportunity to try it during the initial months of vehicle ownership and subsequently activate it through a subscription at the time of their choosing. Customers can still include a 3-year subscription as part of the vehicle purchase, if they prefer,” Ford said.
BlueCruise is equipped on 199,000 Ford and Lincoln vehicles in North America, which have accumulated over 70 million miles driven hands-free.
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Tesla Vice President of Vehicle Engineering, Lars Moravy, recently revealed the company has thought about introducing a Plaid powertrain on the Model 3, but there could be some challenges involved.
On the Ride the Lightning podcast, Moravy revealed that he thinks about a Plaid Model 3 “all the time,” and it certainly has a place in Tesla’s potential lineup of future vehicles.
Now that the Plaid powertrain is technically defunct due to the newfound absence of the Model S and Model X, Tesla could find a way to reintroduce the lightning-quick trim level to its mass-market vehicles.
But there are going to be some challenges with it. Moravy said that the Model 3 Plaid would likely adopt the carbon-sleeved motors that the Model S Plaid had. However, packaging would be a major challenge, as Moravy said on the podcast, it would be a “tight engineering squeeze.”
It’s important to note that there are no active production plans for the Model 3 Plaid at this point, but it’s also worth noting that with the Model S and Model X Plaid no longer available, Tesla would likely be willing to introduce something that is even more white-knuckle than the Model 3 Performance, which already boasts a 2.9-second 0-60 MPH acceleration rate and a top speed of 163 MPH.
Of course, there is the Roadster, but we don’t know when that will exactly make it to market, and we know that, for sure, it will not be accessible to many.
Tesla unveils juicy new detail on the Roadster and hints at new unveil timeline
Tesla has prided itself in building some of the best cars out there, but they’re also interested in building cars that are simply fun to be in.
A Plaid Model 3 could truly push the limits and could end up being one of the best cars Tesla will ever build, especially if it can shave off at least half of a second from its 0-60 MPH time and increase its top speed slightly.
More than anything, the real changes will be in the ride and aerodynamics. Tesla improving things like the suspension, handling, and downforce will be the true trademarks of its Plaid powertrain; putting it in the Model 3 could be a great move for the company and for customers interested in high-end performance.
Elon Musk
NASA’s first human outpost on the Moon starts now – SpaceX on deck
NASA named the rovers, landers, and vendors that will build America’s first Moon Base.
NASA has laid out its most detailed Moon Base plan to date, describing a permanent outpost near the Moon’s south pole that the agency intends to build over the coming decade as a direct stepping stone to Mars. “The Moon Base will be America’s and humanity’s first outpost on another celestial world,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said, adding that every mission crewed and uncrewed “will be a learning opportunity as we return to the lunar surface, build the infrastructure to stay, and master the skills required to live and operate in one of the most demanding and dangerous environments imaginable.”
The plan is structured in three phases involving both uncrewed and crewed missions to deliver equipment, vehicles, and infrastructure to the surface, with the first three moon base missions targeted to launch before the end of 2026.
Moon Base I, targeting fall 2026, will use Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 1 lander to deliver scientific instruments to the Shackleton Connecting Ridge, the same region where Artemis astronauts will land. Moon Base II will send Astrobotic’s Griffin lander carrying more than 1,100 pounds of cargo including Astrolab’s FLIP rover to begin developing mobility systems on the surface. Moon Base III will carry the Lunar Vertex science mission on Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C Trinity lander to study lunar swirls near the south pole, with ESA and Korean science payloads aboard.
On the rover side, NASA awarded Astrolab $219 million and Lunar Outpost $220 million to build the first phase of Lunar Terrain Vehicles, with both rovers targeted for deployment to the lunar surface by 2028. Astrolab’s crewed rover weighs roughly 2,000 pounds and can reach over 6 mph. Lunar Outpost’s Pegasus rover can operate autonomously or via remote control at over 9 mph. Blue Origin separately received $188 million with an option worth $280.4 million to deliver cargo landers for rover transport.
NASA also confirmed that MoonFall, a mission deploying four survey drones to scout Artemis landing sites, has selected Firefly Aerospace to build the transport spacecraft, with a 2028 launch target.
SpaceX sits at the center of that commercial layer. SpaceX holds the NASA Human Landing System contract for the Starship-derived lander that will put astronauts on the surface under Artemis IV, currently targeting 2028. Before that can happen, SpaceX must demonstrate in-orbit propellant transfer at scale, a process requiring multiple Starship tanker launches to fuel a single mission. Water ice at the lunar south pole is central to the base’s long-term viability, as it can be converted into drinking water, breathable oxygen, and rocket fuel, directly reducing dependence on Earth resupply. That resource loop becomes far more practical if Starship can land and be refueled on or near the Moon itself.
Elon Musk has publicly stated that Starship V3, which recently completed its first flight, should be capable enough for initial Mars missions. The Moon Base plan announced Tuesday is the infrastructure layer that connects everything between those two ambitions, and SpaceX is the only American company currently contracted to build the rocket that gets humans to either destination.
A new Tesla patent that has been granted to the company this week has revealed a potential strategy for solving a major issue that could impact both the Full Self-Driving suite and Optimus.
The patent, which is No. 12,636,684, describes a “Lens Cleaning System,” and was submitted by Tesla in May 2025.
The language in the patent details a lens cleaning system that can dispense fluid and wipe it away with a wiper assembly.
Optimus can see you now… 🤖👁️
The patent for @Tesla_Optimus‘s eye structure just dropped. $TSLA pic.twitter.com/Jac4VhDmKH
— SETI Park (@seti_park) May 26, 2026
This would effectively clean any debris that would potentially impact the visibility of the cameras on Tesla automobiles or Optimus’s camera eyes. Perhaps the most pertinent example is through the Full Self-Driving suite, as debris that can accumulate on the vehicle’s exterior cameras can impact the suite’s ability to operate effectively.
This requires a remedy through manual cleaning, but this patent hints that Tesla could be planning to implement this new technology on its upcoming vehicles.
Interestingly, we have started to see it on some Robotaxi vehicles, and it will likely be included in the Cybercab, especially as that vehicle will enable full autonomy.
Back in January, the first Model Y Robotaxi units were spotted with camera washers on the side repeaters, as the video below shows fluid squirting and rinsing off any debris that is limiting visibility.
🚨 Tesla looks to have installed Camera Washers on the side repeater cameras on Robotaxis in Austin
pic.twitter.com/xemRtDtlRR— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 23, 2026
This hardware patent does bring up an interesting question for those of us who own Teslas with AI4 and have been told that our cars will one day be capable of full autonomy: Will this washer be available as a retrofit on already-built cars?
Perhaps the “Lens Cleaning System” patent is a good look at one way Tesla plans to combat one of the most obvious issues of autonomy that utilizes a camera-based system. For Optimus, it could be less needed as it could be manually cleaned by owners. For cars, it seems like a bigger necessity, especially as autonomy nears and Tesla gets close to launching a feature-complete FSD suite.
Tesla teases going Plaid Mode with the Model 3
NASA’s first human outpost on the Moon starts now – SpaceX on deck
