Ford’s new electric crossover will ‘go like hell’ – report

Ford’s new electric crossover will ‘go like hell’ – report

In a tip of the hat to Ford’s historic melee with Ferrari at Le Mans, Ford executive chairman Bill Ford has said that the Blue Oval’s first electric crossover will ‘go like hell’, Automotive News reported. This signals a change in how the automaker views its electric vehicles, where its early efforts, like those of other manufacturers, were known more for economy than excitement.

“When we first started talking about electrification, there was this thought that there had to be a trade-off; it was either going to be green and boring and no fun, or really exciting but burn a lot of fossil fuels. Electrification has come to the point that you can do both,” Ford said.

The new Mustang-inspired EV will have a range of more than 500 km, the report said, and while production was originally planned to be in Flat Rock, Michigan, Ford had decided last year that it will instead be built in Mexico. A dedicated business unit named Team Edison has been created and tasked with handling the production of Ford’s EV models, and will be based in Corktown, Detroit.

Ford is spending approximately $740 million (RM3.012 billion) on the Corktown location as the centrepiece for a new campus that will comprise suppliers, software developers, tech startups and potentially even other automakers, the report said. Reuters reported last year that Volkswagen could use a Ford facility for assembly, and the two automakers will also be co-developing commercial vehicles.

Volkswagen therefore could, in theory, lease space in the building. “It could be them. Anybody who wants to come down and be part of this ecosystem, we’d love it,” said Ford. As for the fully electric crossover itself, a trademark application filing was sighted last December and suggests the potential use of either ‘Mach E’ or ‘Mach-E’ as its name. The trademarked names could be used on more than one model, and a forthcoming electrified Mustang is likely, too.

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Mick Chan

Open roads and closed circuits hold great allure for Mick Chan. Driving heaven to him is exercising a playful chassis on twisty paths; prizes ergonomics and involvement over gadgetry. Spent three years at a motoring newspaper and short stint with a magazine prior to joining this website.

 

Comments

  • Type F to pay respect to good old manual v8 pony car

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 0
    • YB Kunta Kinte on Mar 08, 2019 at 1:56 pm

      Every car company is going towards EV except one car company. Still fast asleep.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 8
      • EDITOR on Mar 08, 2019 at 2:26 pm

        No point going for EV if battery replacement is going to cost RM130,000, isn’t that what you said?

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 0
        • YB Kunta Kinte on Mar 08, 2019 at 6:06 pm

          Not true. Camry Hybrid only RM8k. Civic Hybrid only RM4k

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 11
          • Logical Deduction on Mar 09, 2019 at 12:58 pm

            An 8k battery isn’t worth the saving of petrol usage. Also are you sure Civic Hybrid battery only cost 4k? Don’t lie here, City Hybrid battery cost 5k, how is it much larger Civic Hybrid battery cost less than City Hybrid?

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
          • Copy Paste on Mar 09, 2019 at 4:16 pm

            Copy paste: “The big issue here, hybrid and EV sellers must inform the buyer of all these costs at point of purchase.

            Our salesman all talk sweet. Especially BMW and Mercedes salesman. But they never tell you that their batteries all cost RM130k and above. That is just battery. The service labour and also the electrical parts is another big bomb. Each time… .nothing less than 10k.

            Don’t believe? Ask all the Toyota Prius owners in Malaysia. They will tell you how costly their electrical parts costs.”

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
 

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