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

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

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]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • ToolGuy ToolGuy on Oct 17, 2019

    I am interested to see the customer response to this vehicle (if they don't pull a Dyson and back out). Presumably, it's not a Tesla, therefore it is awesome. "FordPass Charging Network" might be an unfortunate name choice... as in "Ford? Pass..." The issue I ran into in the early days of EV's was that my network card is not compatible with the charging network that you partnered with, or the partner changed and the password isn't updated, or the fast charger I was counting on is out of service, or the fast charger that I see right over there is in the part of the parking lot that is reserved for a special event today....

    • Dal20402 Dal20402 on Oct 18, 2019

      It's just a matter of time before every charging network takes every smartphone payment system, with discounts for members (or whatever they call people who have signed up and/or paid in advance).

  • Akear Akear on Oct 17, 2019

    Here is yet another overhyped EV vehicle that will virtually disappear within five years. Doesn't Ford realize nobody asked for a electric Mustang SUV?

  • Analoggrotto TTAC is full of drug addicts with short memories. Just beside this article is another very beautiful article about how the EV9 was internationally voted by a renowned board of automotive experts who are no doubt highly educated, wealthy and affluent; the best vehicle in entire world. That's planet earth for you numbskulls. Let me repeat: the best vehicle in the world is the Kia EV9. Voted, and sealed, and if you try to deny it Fanny Willis is ready to prosecute you; but she will send her boyfriend instead because she is busy.
  • MaintenanceCosts Our Bolt is not going away for a while but if I had to predict today what would replace it, I'd predict an EX30. It checks every box for my wife.
  • Ajla Both Biden and Trump are on record caring ~0% what the WTO says and the US government isn't bound by WTO rulings.
  • Honda1 The FJB Inflation Reduction Act will end up causing more inflation down the road, fact! Go ahead and flame me libbies, get back to me in a few years!
  • Cprescott Fisker is another brand that Heir Yutz has killed.
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