Olathe’s Garmin GPS system earns a spot in Ford’s new electric Mustang model
Ford Motor Company’s futuristic-looking electric Mustang model will include a slice of Kansas City after Garmin struck a deal with the Detroit automaker.
Garmin, headquartered in Olathe, announced on Tuesday it would provide the navigation system in Ford’s Mustang Mach-E, which has an advertised battery range of at least 300 miles. Ford introduced the all-electric SUV in November, marking the first addition to the Mustang lineup in 55 years.
For Garmin, the partnership represents just another way the company has managed to stay active in the automotive market, even as smart phones caused many consumers to put down their portable auto GPS devices.
In March, Garmin announced it had been chosen by BMW as a top supplier of infotainment systems. Though it’s unclear how many new BMW models will include Garmin products, the announcement means the company will design and manufacture hardware and software for new BMWs.
The partnership with Ford is more limited: Garmin’s GPS system will be just one piece of the SYNC communications and entertainment system. That system includes a digital owners manual and mirrors the capability of a smartphone with its ability to navigate, play music and provide real-time weather and traffic updates.
The Mustang Mach-E is priced at about $44,000 to $60,000, depending on specifications. Widely viewed as a direct competitor with Tesla’s electric cars, Ford’s electric SUV was unveiled just outside of Tesla’s Los Angeles design center in the fall.
“It’s fast. It’s fun. It’s freedom,” Ford’s executive chairman Bill Ford said in November. “For a new generation of Mustang owners.”
But well ahead of its arrival at dealerships, the 2021 model is already sold out, according to the Detroit Free Press. One in four buyers who reserved their own Mustang Mach-E live in California, though the Detroit paper reported customer excitement across the nation.
On Tuesday, Garmin’s Matt Munn said the company was looking forward to working with Ford and “expanding our offerings across multiple vehicle platforms in the future.”
“The introduction of Garmin’s innovative navigation features to the SYNC platform in the Mach-E will help ensure that Ford’s all electric customer base stays connected at all times,” Munn said in a news release.
This story was originally published January 7, 2020 at 4:32 PM.
