Ford aims to be the in the 200-mile, $35,000 electric vehicle market. CEO Mark Fields stated it will introduce a long-range electrical car that would be competitive with announced designs from General Motors and Tesla Motors that go at least 200 miles on a charge and cost around $35,000 before choices. It will likely be called the Model E. In the meantime, Ford will push the variety of its present Focus Electric from 76 miles to 100 miles.
Fields made the remarks in a conference call with analysts and reporters Thursday. He did not specify a time for releasing the Model E. However to be competitive, it has to happen in the next 2-3 years to avoid being a late entry following the Chevrolet Bolt, Tesla Model 3, as well as a longer-range Nissan Leaf.
Ford in December revealed projects to add 13 electrical automobiles, hybrids, and plug-in hybrids by 2020. Presently it has two hybrids, the Fusion and C-Max; 2 plug-in hybrids, the C-Max Energi and Blend Energi; and one EV, the Focus Electric. They have sticker price ranging from $26,000 (Fusion Hybrid) to $32,000 (C-Max Energi). There is likewise a Lincoln version of the Blend Hybrid, the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid (having $35,000 base cost).
It has been also reported that production would start 2019 in Ford’s just-announced new plant in Mexico. Already there are more than a dozen automaker plants in Canada and Mexico that have been supplying the US market, while at the same time some plants in the United States export to other countries.
