Ford is going to invest heavily in electric vehicles in the near future. The Blue Oval announced that plans to introduce 13 electrified vehicles in the next five years. This includes hybrid versions of the iconic F-150 pickup and Mustang in the U.S., a plug-in hybrid Transit Custom van in Europe and a fully electric SUV with an expected range of at least 300 miles for customers globally.
The automaker also announced plans to invest $700 million to expand its Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Michigan into a factory that will build high-tech autonomous and electric vehicles along with the Mustang and Lincoln Continental. The expansion will create 700 direct new jobs.
The moves are part of a $4.5 billion investment in electrified vehicles by 2020.
The seven global electrified vehicles announced today include:
– An all-new fully electric small SUV, coming by 2020, engineered to deliver an estimated range of at least 300 miles, to be built at the Flat Rock plant and sold in North America, Europe and Asia.
– A high-volume autonomous vehicle designed for commercial ride hailing or ride sharing, starting in North America. The hybrid vehicle will debut in 2021 and will be built at the Flat Rock plant.
– A hybrid version of the best-selling F-150 pickup available by 2020 and sold in North America and the Middle East. The F-150 Hybrid, built at Ford’s Dearborn Truck Plant, will offer towing and payload capacity and operate as a mobile generator.
– A hybrid version of the iconic Mustang that will deliver V8 power and even more low-end torque. The Mustang Hybrid, built at the Flat Rock Plant, debuts in 2020 and will be available in the North America to start.
– A Transit Custom plug-in hybrid available in 2019 in Europe engineered to help reduce operating costs.
– Two new, pursuit-rated hybrid police vehicles. One of the two new hybrid police vehicles will be built in Chicago, and both will be upfitted with their police gear at Ford’s dedicated police vehicle modification center in Chicago.
In addition, Ford announces that its global utility lineup will be the company’s first hybrids powered by EcoBoost rather than naturally aspirated engines, furthering improving performance and fuel economy.
