SPY PICS: New Ford electric SUV spotted testing
Ford-designed, Volkswagen-engineered MEB-based SUV spied doing laps of a private proving ground in GermanyOur spy photographers have managed to snap some long-range shots of Ford’s upcoming MEB-based mid-size electric SUV ahead of its rumoured reveal in the coming months.
Having only been teased once prior to now, this is our first proper look at the Blue Oval’s sister model to the Volkswagen ID.4 and it’s clear for all to see the Ford will take on a boxier aesthetic than the curvy VW.
This American-style macho-ness is especially evident when comparing the heavily disguised prototype with the similarly sized but coupe-style Ford Mustang Mach-E.
Details are predictably thin on the ground for the time being, but a driving range of around 500km should be on the cards for some variants, while others could pack performance outputs of up to 220kW/460Nm.
Sources within Ford of Europe say the as-yet-unnamed model will launch in its native market sometime next year as one of three all-new electric SUVs; the others being a zero-emissions Ford Puma and a yet-to-be-seen compact offering sitting between the two.
This series of spy images was captured at the Ford Electrification Centre in Germany as the all-new mid-size SUV lapped the facility’s proving ground.
It’s no coincidence the model is being developed and produced in Germany given the country is home to Volkswagen, which is the key facilitator of the operation.
The EV collaboration between two of the industry’s biggest names was forged last decade and headlined by the MEB announcement in mid-2019.
Under the deal, Ford is leveraging VW’s widely used EV architecture, suspension, electronics, motors and batteries for its new SUV, while the latter ploughs on with the development of its next-generation products and autonomous driving technology – undoubtedly aided by the huge injection of cash from Ford.
It’s unclear yet whether this new SUV will make it to Australian shores any time soon, but Ford Australia remains committed to its own electrification strategy, which will involve the launch of five electrified models including the Mustang Mach-E by the end of 2024.
Related: Ford Puma EV and other electric SUVs to launch by 2024
Related: Ford wants two EVs based on Volkswagen platform
Related: Ford borrows Volkswagen's EV
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