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Ford Mustang Mach-E Development Continues from Home

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2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E development
Mustang Mach-E development keeps on keeping on even during the current crisis
Photo: Ford Motor Company

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic shuttering vehicle production indefinitely and delaying vehicle reveals and launches, Ford says that it is still on track to launch the 2021 Mustang Mach-E by year’s end. For this, we must thank the hard work of engineers who have kept pace with Ford Mustang Mach-E development from home.

The Detroit News’ Breana Noble spoke with several key members of the Ford Mustang Mach-E development team, who continue to acclimate to and overcome the challenges of working from home.

“There are dogs, kids, there are older family members — that does add some spice to the process,” said Rob Iorio, Mach-E vehicle engineering manager. “Everybody is just trying to adapt. Many of us have been working on this Mustang Mach-E for many years. It’s in our blood. You can’t just hit the pause button.”


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Engineers make work-from-home work

2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E development
Photo: Ford

Though certain performance tests can’t be performed from home for obvious reasons, remote access to tools and data allow the engineers to continue testing and analysis. To facilitate this, members of the development team took home perhaps the most essential tool: the Mustang Mach-E prototypes.

Where the original practice was for team members to sanitize the prototypes and switch them as needed, the stay-at-home order in Michigan now means getting creative with collaboration. Aleyna Kapur, who works in systems calibration for the Mach-E, tells Noble that she’ll reach out to other calibrators to get data and suggest tests and diagnostics. In lieu of five-member ride-alongs, Iorio says that one team member will record the experience and upload videos and photos to the cloud for others to see.

There’s also the matter of working with the constant distraction of cute kids running around. Next-generation SYNC supervisor Husein Dakroub says that he plies his kids with Disney+ and a math- and science-focused curriculum.

“They poke me,” he said. “I say they’re my continuous second meeting.”

Even with challenges like poking from precocious kiddos, the team behind the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E are hard at work to ensure it hits its end-of-year launch schedule.


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