Remember the Mach 1? If you don’t, Ford offered the Mach 1 as an option package for the 1969 Mustang SportsRoof. And it’s a wicked-looking machine, window louvers and all, plus the optional Shaker hood scoop.
But the days the Mustang carried the Mach 1 badge are long gone, with Ford having other plans. In 2020, the Mach 1 will come back from the dead as the handle for… wait for it… an all-electric performance SUV.
“So it’s not based on the Mustang?” The Blue Oval didn’t tell, but executive vice president Raj Nair made it clear the Mustang and Mach 1 won’t share the platform. In addition to this mysterious piece of information, the Mach 1 is a working title.
Product communications manager Mike Levine highlights that Ford is researching the name to see how customers will respond, which is why anything can happen by 2020. The Mach 1 moniker also appears in the official teaser for the electric SUV, so read what you will into this set of circumstances.
Speaking of the teaser, press play and come back here are you’re done. Here’s the sitrep: one Mustang and one Expedition, the tagline “Born In Detroit,” and the confirmation that the mystery vehicle is developed by Team Edison. Could this mean the e-SUV is inspired by the Mustang or has sporting attributes in the same vein as the quintessential pony car?
It’s nigh-on impossible to make up one’s mind about what the future will hold. It doesn’t help either that Team Edison’s research & development is secret, but what we do know is that Ford is betting big on electrification.
In addition to the electric SUV, the Ford Motor Company confirmed that the F-150 and Expedition will receive hybrid models in a couple of years. In addition to those two, the Mustang is also confirmed to adopt some sort of hybrid powertrain that integrates an unspecified EcoBoost-type engine.
In total, Ford will launch 40 electrified vehicles by 2022. 16 of them will be pure electric, whilst the remaining 24 will arrive in the form of hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News