Ford Will Battle the Model 3 With the Model E: Report
Earlier this year, Ford Motor Company claimed 100 miles of electric range was just fine, then turned on a dime and said no, no, that’s not right at all.
The about-face on EV range came from CEO Mark Fields, who couldn’t have helped but notice the insane demand for Tesla’s Model 3 after it launched at the end of March. Now, the automaker wants to get serious about electrics with a two-car Model E line, Autocar reports.
According to the publication, Ford will launch two electric vehicles with a 200-mile range in 2019. Both will carry the Model E moniker, which Ford trademarked after wrestling it from Tesla’s grip (using legal action) in 2013.
Like Ford’s sole existing electric, one of the future models will be based on the Focus compact. The other will take the form of a small SUV. Both models will also come in hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants.
The Ford Focus Electric has languished on the EV market for years, offering a paltry 76 miles of range, though the automaker recently upgraded that number to an even 100 miles. Still, that’s only half the range of what the public and industry deem acceptable for U.S. consumers. 200 miles is the new benchmark, with General Motors, Tesla, Nissan and others all striving to offer such a vehicle at a reasonable price.
Model E is a clean name, but there’s something about it that seems familiar. When it launches, will Ford proclaim an “E-Day”?
More by Steph Willems
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I think Ford is missing an opportunity by not using the name Model tE (pronounced Model Tee). It evokes the best known automobile brand in history.
The Ford dealer near me is only interested in selling trucks, I suspect that's not an isolated situation.
Tesla's Superchargers deliver more juice in less time with a better connector, and they're happy to let any other manufacturer who wants to buy into the standard do so. It baffles me why manufacturers a) aren't building out infrastructure and b) are backing two objectively inferior standards, thereby ceding a marketing advantage to Tesla. If you can charge a Tesla (with adapter) at competitors' chargers, but competitors can't charge from Tesla's...and Tesla has built out a huge charging network on top of that...then advantage Tesla. In fact, this is the most common reason I hear for waiting for the Model 3 instead of getting a Bolt: plenty of chargers, and better ones at that.
The "Teletouch Drive" on the '58 Edsel was the first automatic transmission with shiftin buttons on the steering wheel - now ubiquitous among sportier slushbox-equipped cars.