Ford’s ludicrous, Tesla-style Mach-E takes shape
First dedicated electric vehicle from Ford promises extended range capabilities and choice of rear-drive and all-wheel driveFord’s first fully-dedicated electric car, a Tesla Model Y-style crossover expected to be dubbed Mach-E, is reportedly due to go on sale globally in 2020 after making its debut at an unveiling later this year.
As the name – that is the subject of a recent patent application by Ford – implies, the fully-electric Mach E will in some ways reference the famed Mach 1 Mustang available across four generations spanning from 1969 to 2004, with what could be described as truly electrifying performance.
Ford chairman Bill Ford has said it “is going to go like hell”.
The big difference is that the Mach-E will bow to current trends by being a crossover vehicle rather than a dedicated sports car.
Built off an all-new platform capable of supporting both rear-drive and all-wheel drive, the new Ford EV is expected to be offered in high-performance form to challenge Tesla’s Ludicrous-mode offerings, and in a less-accelerative format with reduced battery capacity and a shorter range.
Talking of range, the upcoming Ford EV is also claimed to be capable of travelling a WLTP-certified 595km on a single charge, beating Tesla’s Model X (565km) and Jaguar’s I-PACE (470km).
According to a report in Autocar, Ford is paying a lot of attention to making its electric crossover as user-friendly as possible.
Bill Ford is quoted as saying the company is “redesigning the ownership experience to ensure it addresses customer pain points that currently hold back broad (EV) adoption”.
The Autocar report mentions that Ford’s renewed focus on EVs will result in the deletion of various top-selling models from the company’s US line-up, including Taurus, Fusion, Fiesta and Focus.
Word is that the company is also working on a volume-selling crossover EV based on the Focus platform that will be similar in size to the current Escape SUV.
Recently, Ford announced it has entered into a $A700 million partnership with US EV start-up Rivian, which has developed its own EV platform for use under light-commercial utes and seven-seat SUVs.
Ford is also rumoured to be in consultation with the Volkswagen Group to access its Modular Electric Matrix (MEB) for passenger cars.
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