“Why am I getting dizzy?”
Photo: Ford
For any number of reasons, getting folks to transition from engine-powered vehicles to EVs will be a process. There are going to be pain points along the way. One of those isn’t — certainly shouldn’t be — a fondness for the smell of gas. But Ford, cheeky buggers they are, decided to bridge that gap just in case with a fragrance named for its all-new Mustang Mach-E.
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“Mmm. Car smell.”
Photo: Ford
Ford revealed its Mach-Eau fragrance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this month as a promotional tool for the upcoming Mustang Mach-E GT and GT Performance Edition. Why? Amazingly, a Ford-commissioned study found that 70 percent of drivers would miss the smell of gasoline to some extent. And! Twenty percent said the smell of gas is the thing they’d miss the most. That’s something.
“Judging by our survey findings, the sensory appeal of petrol cars is still something drivers are reluctant to give up. The Mach-Eau fragrance is designed to give them a hint of that fuel-fragrance they still crave. It should linger long enough for the GT’s performance to make any other doubts vaporize too,” said Ford of Europe Product Communications Director Jay Ward.
You know this would sell for like $200 a bottle or something crazy like that, right?
Photo: Ford
To develop the scent, Ford turned to Olfiction, a fragrance consultancy firm, and Pia Long of the British Society of Perfumers. Long considered elements like benzaldehyde, the chemical most associated with the famous new car smell, and the rubbery smell of para-cresol. Fortunately, these elements were balanced out a bit with conventional scents like lavender, sandalwood, and ginger.
Oh, and there’s also “an animal element” to the fragrance. What animal element? I don’t even want to hazard a guess, honestly.
Unfortunately (or fortunately), Mach-Eau joins the Ford Mustang Mach-E hot sauce on the list of Mach-E-branded things that you can’t buy. But you can still buy a Mustang Mach-E GT or GT Performance Edition ahead of their launch later this year.
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Richard Bazzy is the face of Shults Ford, the No. 1 Ford dealer in Pittsburgh and all of Pennsylvania. Known for his unique approach to selling cars and his penchant for cowboy hats, Richard runs Shults Ford of Harmarville, Shults Ford Lincoln of Wexford, and Shults Ford South. Visit his YouTube channel and see just how well Richard Bazzy can yee a haw.
