Ford readying sleek long-range seven-seat electric SUV
Blue Oval says new flagship e-SUV will have a 560km range – and 480km at a steady 110km/h – when it arrives in 2025Ford CEO Jim Farley has revealed more details of its all-new, all-electric three-row SUV flagship that’s due to launch in 2025, announcing it will be heavily based on the next-generation Ford F-150 Lightning pick-up truck.
Developed from the all-new TE1 ladder-frame architecture that will underpin the follow-up to the current Ford F-150 Lightning, which is likely to be sold in Australia, Farley described the big new battery-powered SUV as a “personal bullet train”.
The global Ford boss revealed more details in a call to investors and said the new SUV will be able to cover more than 480km between top-ups even at speeds of 70mph (112km/h).
During combined-cycle driving, the unnamed SUV is said to be able to travel more than 560km, while up to 240km of range can be added with a DC fast-charger in just 10 minutes.
Farley confirmed the project will be led by Doug Field, who previously worked at both Tesla and Apple, and that the all-new SUV has already been in development for two years.
The decision to focus on a large SUV is said to be a deliberate strategy to ensure the Blue Oval doesn’t engage in a price war in the more competitive two-row electric SUV market, in which it already sells the Mustang Mach-E (confirmed for Australian release in late 2023).
Some confusion surrounds just how big the incoming all-electric SUV will be, with Farley mentioning the current Expedition (5334mm long) in his speech. Some have suggested that was a reference to cabin space, and that the actual three-row SUV will be Explorer-sized (5006mm).
If that’s the case, there’s a chance the three-row SUV will be offered outside of North America in markets like Australia, depending on demand.
Farley ruled out simply converting the current Expedition to EV power as it would need a huge 140kWh battery to match the sleeker TE1-based SUV’s highway range.
Instead, Ford is predicting the more advanced SUV will be powered by a much smaller 100kWh power pack.
Related: Electric Ford family SUV confirmed
Related: New 2024 Ford Explorer EV revealed
Related: Ford F-150 Lightning firms for Oz
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