Ford is planning to release a new all-electric crossover with styling inspired by the Mustang.

It could possibly wear the name Mach E and is expected to have a driving range of 300 miles on a single charge.

Look for the Mach E to arrive in 2020 with a starting price around $40,000.

It's no secret that Ford is working on a new electric crossover, with a styling assist from the Mustang. Allegedly, it puts enough of an emphasis on performance that the name Mach 1 was briefly considered (and quickly dropped due to backlash). But even if applying that name to this creation was deemed too heretical—Mach E is reportedly still in the running as an alternative—Ford is keen to connect it to classic Mustang design cues, such as the familiar three-bar taillights and fastback roofline. There's no grille at the front, but there is a pony.

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Now that all its fuel-efficient passenger cars are exiting stage left, Ford needs to prove that it is still committed to greenery. And it's crucial that this new EV be desirable, hence the grafted-on Mustang heritage.

Ford has a plan to eventually migrate all global products onto five vehicle architectures. This crossover will use one of these: a dedicated EV platform designed from the outset to accommodate a battery pack. So far, all Ford has promised is a driving range of 300 miles on a charge, which will likely mean a 100.0-kWh battery, the size that's in a Tesla Model S Long Range. Two electric motors, one up front and one in the rear, should be on hand to provide all-wheel drive.

This new model will aim at currently available EVs such as the Chevrolet Bolt EV, Hyundai Kona Electric, and Kia Niro EV, along with the upcoming Tesla Model Y crossover scheduled to go on sale next year.



Ford has dabbled in this field with low-range attempts such as the Focus Electric and the Energi plug-in hybrids, but it will be arriving late to the long-range-EV party. If the Mach E's gestation continues for much longer, the pace of the market's evolution means it could end up being uncompetitive by the time it arrives. Expect it to start somewhere around $40,000 when it arrives in 2020.