If You Build It, Will They Charge? Ford Sure Hopes So

There’s rumblings that Ford’s upcoming electric crossover — you know, the “Mustang-inspired” hot rod EV for the whole family ⁠— may make an appearance very soon. Due to go on sale in 2020, the vehicle is Ford’s first serious attempt to enter the electric vehicle field (apologies to the defunct Focus Electric, which found itself outclassed almost as soon as it appeared).

Getting Americans out of their brodozers will not be an easy feat, however, and the folks at the Blue Oval know it. With this in mind, Ford is offering future…Mach E?…buyers as many places to juice up as possible.

On Thursday, the automaker claimed Ford EV buyers will be able to plug in at 12,000 public charging stations (encompassing 35,000 plugs), including those offered by Volkswagen’s Electrify America. The FordPass Charging Network is the product of a collaboration with EV charging provider Greenlots; together, the companies secured access to various charging networks for users of the FordPass phone app.

In addition to the charging network, Ford teamed with Amazon Home Services to install 240-volt garage plugs and beefier 48-amp Ford Connected Charge Stations. If would-be buyers feel that they’ll never want for juice, Ford believes it can make a sale.

“Among people who already own or want to purchase electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, 48 percent say that a lack of charging stations is one of their main concerns,” said Ted Cannis, Ford director of global electrification. “By offering industry-leading charging access we are dismantling those barriers, allowing more customers to confidently enjoy the benefits of owning an electric vehicle.”

While Ford’s EVs, like those of its rivals, will come with a Ford Mobile Charger for connecting to random outlets, fueling up at a 120- or 240-volt plug can be a tedious affair (assuming you’re out and about, not sleeping at home). Plugging the upcoming Ford crossover into a regular wall outlet gets you 3 miles per hour, in the EV charging sense of the term. Going with a 240-volt plug ups that charge rate to 22 miles per hour.

With the Ford-badged 48-amp home outlet, the automaker claims 32 miles can be poured back into the battery pack each hour. A better solution, for sure, though the countrywide charging network access is perhaps the bigger perk. If you can get to a DC fast-charge outlet, like those provided by Electrify America, drivers can top up to the tune of 47 miles in 10 minutes. A 10-to-80-percent fill-up at one of these 150 kW stations should take 45 minutes.

While that’s a wildly greater delay than filling up at a gas station, Ford’s upcoming EV is expected to go 300 or more miles on a charge. We’re a long way from Focus Electric territory here.

That said, even with this much access to electricity, will it be enough to persuade buyers to choose the vehicle over an Explorer or Edge? Time will tell. We don’t know the model’s pricing, or even what it looks like. Still, the company claims it plans to turn a profit off its upcoming EVs ⁠— a crop that includes the looming electric F-150 and a brace of Ford and Lincoln midsize crossovers due for the 2023 model year. At least once those vehicles arrive, there’ll be juice waiting.

[Images: Ford]