Ford Teases Mustang-Inspired Mach 1 Electric Crossover With 300-Mile Range
Electric vehicles are growing in popularity, and it certainly helps that some of the newest designs carry the same aggressive looks and performance (at times) as their gas guzzling brethren. Some EVs are even ultra-sporty. That seems to be what Ford is after with an all-electric vehicle in the making, one that takes its inspiration from the company's iconic Mustang.
Ford teased the upcoming EV by releasing a sketch of the rear end, and boy is it a beauty. In fact, it would be easy to mistake the sketch, as shown above, for a Mustang. That is precisely the point—Darren Palmer, product development director of Ford's Team Edison division, stated in no uncertain terms that the all-new, fully-electric car is inspired by the company's Mustang line.
"I’ve been fortunate enough to work for Ford across many amazing teams on many exciting assignments, most recently leading development of the next-generation Mustang...c Having just taken delivery of a Shelby GT350R, those in the dark about electric vehicles might think that they chose the wrong guy in that I’m a Mustang enthusiast. But as my team and I have quickly found out, the new generation of electric vehicles is just as exciting — only different. Different can be good. Very good," Palmer said.
There are not a lot of details about the Mustang-inspired crossover, though Palmer did indicate that it will have a range of 300 miles. He also said Ford is targeting a 2020 release.
The new vehicle is part of a massively funded effort by Ford to bring 16 fully electric vehicles within a global portfolio of 40 electrified cars through 2020. Ford is spending $11 billion on the initiative. That's a financially huge investment, and it's because the EV market is only going to get bigger.
"We’ve been tasked to move fast and come together quickly to solve common problems — what we like to call 'cross-functional sprints,' and we’ve embraced a 'no stripes mentality' to encourage that ideas come from different viewpoints," Palmer added.
Developing a crossover inspired by a fan favorite doesn't come without some big responsibilities, and even a bit of controversy. Originally the crossover was to be named after the Mach 1, a performance-oriented option package of the original Mustang introduced in 1969. However, that decision did not sit well with fans who felt that Ford was tarnishing the Mustang's heritage. Ford heard the complaints, and is no longer planning to attach the Mach 1 name to its crossover.
Whatever it ends up being called, we can't wait to see what it looks and performs like.
