Ford will reveal its new Mustang-inspired electric SUV, conceived as a high-performance rival to the Tesla Model Y, next month. The American firm has released a teaser featuring a sketch of the new machine’s profile, confirming it will be launched on Sunday 17 November, just ahead of the Los Angeles motor show where it will likely be shown in public for the first time.   Due to go on sale in 2020, a concept will be unveiled later this year, Ford claims the as-year-unnamed model will transfer the spirit of the iconic Mustang pony car into a truly 21st century model.  The new model was given the ‘Mach 1’ tag during early development because of strong public opinion against the use of the branding historically reserved for Mustangs. However, the Blue Oval recently applied to trademark the ‘Mach-E’ nameplate, which seems a perfect fit, given the car’s brief.  The new car will be the first Ford designed as an electric car from the ground up, with a bespoke new platform enabling both rear and four-wheel drive. It will crown the brand’s wide-reaching electrification plan under which European customers will be offered a hybrid, plug-in hybrid or fully electric version of every new model launched.  The only technical detail Ford has officially revealed is the car’s range: it will be capable of 370 miles of WLTP-certified range on a single charge, beating the Tesla Model X (351 miles) and Jaguar I-Pace (292 miles). A less expensive version with less battery capacity and range is also expected.  Ford claims charging will be “effortless” and it is “redesigning the ownership experience to ensure it addresses customer pain points that currently hold back broad (electric car) adoption”. The car’s performance remains undisclosed, although chairman Bill Ford has previously claimed it “is going to go like hell”.  At a Bank of America summit last month, a Ford presentation showed that it would offer a higher-performance variant of the electric crossover, targeting the more accelerative versions of Tesla’s EVs. Although it is not officially confirmed, reports suggest Ford will reveal the car’s name along with the concept before the year is out.  Like many of Ford’s recent models, it’ll be a globally engineered vehicle with few changes between regions. UK deliveries are tipped to start in late 2020. It’s not the only EV in Ford’s product plan, because the Michigan-based maker is also working on a more affordable electric crossover. Codenamed CX430, it will be based on the latest Focus platform and be similar to the Kuga. The CX430 has been in Ford’s product plan for several years.  The long-awaited push into electrification comes after news that Ford will be dropping former best-sellers from its US line-up: the Taurus, Fusion and Focus, alongside the Fiesta. Ford’s supermini never found huge popularity in the US, but the momentous decision to end Ford’s 110-year presence in the US passenger saloon market sent a clear signal that profitability, not diversity, is the new focus for the
Origin: Ford to reveal Mustang-inspired electric SUV next month