Ford's electric Mustang-inspired SUV will finally make its debut – TechCrunch
Ford gave its first look at a Mustang-inspired electric crossover in almost 14 months. Now it's ready to show the world what "Mustang-inspired" means.
The carmaker said on Thursday that it will debut the electric SUV on November 17 ahead of the LA Auto Show.
Not much is known about the electric SUV. which will be on the market in 2020, despite losing some teaser image or hint. A new website recently launched, which provides few details, namely that Ford is targeting an EPA-estimated range of at least $ 300. The look, specifications and price must wait until at least the debut date of November 1[ads1]7.
What we do know is that Ford's future (and certainly its CEO) is linked to the success of this shift to electrification. The Mustang-inspired SUV may not be the cornerstone of this strategy (an electric F150 probably deserves that designation), but it will be a critical piece.
Ford has historically supported hybrid technology. Back in 2016, Ford Chairman Bill Ford said at a Fortune event that he looked at plug-in hybrids as a transition technology.
A lot has changed. Hybrids are still part of the mix. But for the past 18 months, Ford has been placing greater emphasis on the development and production of fully electric vehicles.
In 2018, the company said it will invest $ 11 billion to add 16 fully electric vehicles to its global portfolio of 40 electrified vehicles through 2022.
Ford unveiled a series of hybrid cars in September at the Frankfurt Motor Show as part of the plan to achieve the sale of 1 million electrified cars in Europe by the end of 2022.
It also invested in the startup of the Rivian electric vehicle and locked into an agreement with Volkswagen covering a number of areas, including autonomy (via an investment from VW in Argo AI) and cooperation on the development of electric vehicles. Ford will use Volkswagen's MEB platform to develop "at least one" fully electric car for the European market designed to be manufactured and sold on scale.
