All-electric Ford Mustang coupe possible

The first all-electric Ford Mustang sports car is expected by around 2030, when the eighth-generation ‘S750’ model arrives, but at this stage Ford executives remain loathe to publicly confirm a battery-powered Mustang is in development.

However, they’re less guarded about the potential to expand the Mustang family beyond the current coupe, convertible and electric SUV.

Speaking at the recent global launch of the new seventh-generation (S650) Ford Mustang, chief vehicle integration engineer Tim Smith didn’t rule out the chances of the Mustang portfolio expanding over the next decade.

“I think Mustang’s certainly got broad enough shoulders that it could carry more of a family if we decided to do that going forward. It would make sense to me,” he said.

“I think we know what we have with Mustang and we’re going to treat the brand right and treat our customers right and take the opportunities where they make sense, that’s my expectation.”

Chief engineer of the Ford Mustang Mach-E electric SUV, Ron Heiser, previously told carsales the EV’s GE1 platform is highly-scalable and can be shortened or lengthened to suit various vehicle applications.

And given the Ford Mustang Mach-E, which will be released in Australia within months, is already produced in single-motor rear-wheel drive and dual-motor all-wheel drive forms, its chassis architecture could be used to underpin an all-electric Mustang coupe.

The GE2 platform that is expected to replace the current Mach-E’s underpinnings within about five years could also form the basis for the first all-electric Mustang coupe.

Unsurprisingly, Ford is determined to extend the life of its legendary Mustang V8 for as long as possible – just as Porsche is aiming to do with its boxer-powered 911 via synthetic fuels – but for the two-door Mustang muscle car’s bloodline to continue long-term, electric propulsion will be necessary.

Ford unleashed an all-electric Mustang concept – packing a circa-670kW/1350Nm EV powertrain including a six-speed manual transmission, no less – at the SEMA show in 2019, providing a key insight to how its product planners are thinking.

When the Ford Mustang Mach-E broke cover in late 2019, the electric SUV caused a big stir by pushing the Blue Oval brand’s famous pony car nameplate in a very unorthodox direction. Many still believe it’s sacrilege.

But the Mach-E paves the way for more electric Mustangs and will conveniently soften the landing for an all-electric Mustang coupe.

Smith wouldn’t be drawn on what his next project is, nor specifically when an all-electric Mustang coupe will hit the streets. But he did reveal that the decision to spread the Mustang name into the EV and SUV sectors with the Mach-E was not taken lightly.

“With Mustang it’s such a valuable brand for us, it’s so core to who we are. We want to be careful,” he cautioned.

“With Mach-E, you know, there was some healthy tension there internally, before we did that. It’s not just someone says ‘yes, just do it’ and everyone agrees and we just go with it, right?”

Smith insisted that future Mustang models won’t dilute the breed, suggesting that rather than more SUVs like the Mach-E, Ford will develop more sports cars like the theoretical Mustang Raptor off-road coupe, even if they’re battery-powered.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if we decided we need to keep it a little tighter – I can see that argument too. There’s a lot of history, there’s a lot of emotion there,” he said.

“So again, I think as a company we know what we have with Mustang and we’ll do our best to treat her right.”

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