Ford has promised a Ford F-150 Hybrid and a battery electric performance car to be called the “Mach 1” for 2020. The company’s presentation at the Detroit Auto Show inferred the car would be a Mustang variant, but now Ford’s people imply it’s an SUV instead.




(Images: Ford)

We’re working on getting more details at this event, but for now, there’s no concept or even a mockup image to be seen. All we know is the name, and that it’ll be an electrified performance car. Whether that means fully electric or hybrid remains to be seen.


Based on what little was said tonight, we initially thought this very well could be the hybrid Mustang that Ford promised us a year ago. But interestingly Ford Executive Vice President Raj Nair told Jalopnik that “a Mustang-inspired crossover is certainly something you can expect to come out of Team Edison,” Team Edison being Ford’s battery electric division.

When asked if it will be based on the Mustang, Nair said that because the Mach 1 will be battery electric, it will be built on a unique platform.

As for the Mach 1 name, that has been used as a performance package variant of the Mustang, dating back to the 1969 model year. The last Mustang Mach 1 was sold as a special edition car in 2003 and 2004. The name hasn’t appeared since, so if Ford’s bringing it back, it is doing so in a big and forward-thinking way.


Update Jan 14 5:25 p.m. est: Ford PR rep Mike Levine just tweeted that the Mach 1 will be a “high performance battery electric SUV.” If this is some kind of all-electric successor to the Lightning truck, I will die with joy.


Update Jan 14 6:00 p.m. est: Mike Levine clarified his tweet in a message to Jalopnik, saying Ford is “researching the name Mach 1 to see how customers respond,” for a high performance battery electric SUV.