Hold Up, Ford Wants a 200-Mile EV After All
It seems Ford didn’t want to stay home from the EV dance.
Just 10 days after Ford Motor Company electrification guru Kevin Layden said that 100 miles of range is just plenty, thank you very much, CEO Mark Fields is now saying something very different.
According to Automotive News, Fields was asked about his competitors’ plans for 200-plus mile electric vehicles during a conference call related to his company’s boffo first-quarter earnings, and replied that such a vehicle was in development.
Tesla and General Motors are currently the biggest players in the game. Chevrolet plans to have its 200-plus mile Bolt in production this fall, with Tesla following a year later with its Model 3. Despite what Layden said, Ford clearly wants to be a competitor.
In response to the 200-mile EV question, Fields replied, “Clearly that’s something we’re developing for,” adding that he wants Ford to be “among the leaders or in a leadership position” when it came to battery-powered vehicles.
Last year, Fields funneled $4.5 billion towards vehicle electrification, including the development of a hybrid F-150 (due by decade’s end).
The automaker is currently attempting to trademark the “Model E” name. Unless the company is trying to resurrect the Edsel, this model would have to be a fully electric vehicle.
Automotive News states that the Model E will go into production at a newly built Mexico assembly plant in 2019, one year after Tesla’s baby EV (but likely not before all 400,000 preorders are delivered).
More by Steph Willems
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It's not like Ford is behind in the alt fuel race. Aside from Toyota, Ford has the broadest lineup of any automaker withe the Focus Electric, Fusion Hybrid and Energi, C-Max Hybrid and Energi, and the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid. I am sure that their next generation platforms will fully support Hybrid and EV tech.
Hyundai has announced 200-mile range too. I think they're aiming for 2018.
I have to think that at today's level of battery technology, an 200 mile EV has to be a dedicated design. I wouldn't think there would be enough space in a car that is currently powered by an internal combustion engine.
Imagine wasting money trying to trademark the letter 'E'. "You can't use the letter 'E' that's a Ford trademark. Also we are getting the number '1.5' and maybe some others. And don't think you can call a car the "Model L" Ho Ho Ho. Ford's got a whole team of lawyers after that letter too. Happy Noel to you all.