New Century To See New Interpretation of Performance
Car enthusiasts of a certain age will likely recall the Ford Mustang Mach 1 pony car. Offered on the 1969 fastback model, it was a wicked-looking machine with window louvers and optional shaker hood scoop. Well, Ford is going to resurrect the nameplate for a 2020 vehicle.
However, it won’t be a Mustang and won’t have a V-8—or any engine. It will be a “Mustang-inspired” crossover, and it will be electric.
Ford’s executive vice president, Jim Farley, revealed the bold plan at a pre-event prior to the opening of the Detroit auto show after announcing the next-generation F-150 pick-up will be available with a hybrid powertrain option, claiming Ford “won’t stop there. We’re also thinking about performance vehicles. Mach 1, a performance battery electric [vehicle is] coming in 2020 and we can’t wait. It’s the beginning of a whole new world for our customers and electrifying the best of Ford.”
He then pointed to a big screen behind him where a Mustang and an Explorer drive into Ford’s secretive Detroit area Corktown “Team Edison” electric vehicle facility, suggesting that the Mach 1 will combine the best attributes of its legendary sports coupe and the practicality of its popular SUV. The company then simply rolled a short teaser video about the project, which showed the Mustang and Explorer pulling into the Corktown building just before a bolt of lightning strikes. The garage doors begin to come back up, but the video cuts before anything is revealed.
Rather than offering any details, Farley asked the assembled media, “Can a battery electric vehicle stir the soul?”
Appropriately, the Mach 1 reveal came at an event where Ford also showed off a performance gas SUV in the Edge ST and a “Bullitt” special edition of the Mustang. Whatever Mach 1 is, it appears the Tesla Model X will face some competition in 2020.
$11 Billion Electrification Investment
During the same event, Ford announced it would more than double its investment in the production of electric vehicles, promising to spend $11 billion on the technology by 2022. The Detroit automaker said it will roll out 16 fully electric cars within five years, the first of which would arrive in 2020.
This was seen to be a response to crosstown rival General Motors, who last week said it plans to roll out at least 20 new electric cars by 2023, a goal that puts it in a position to bring battery-powered driving to the mainstream, joining Volkswagen, Hyundai-Kia and Toyota in strong electrification drives. Last week GM also unveiled a concept electric autonomous car without steering wheel or pedals.
Other Stories from NAIAS 2018:
News: 2019 Toyota Avalon Hybrid Introduced
News: Chevrolet Silverado Diesel Signals Resurgence
News: Infiniti Q Inspiration Concept Introduced
News: Smart Releases 10th Anniversary Edition
News: All-new 2019 Honda Insight Coming
News: 2018 Ford F-150 Gets a Diesel
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