Update to the Ford EV Roadmap. No impact to Mustang Mach-E

[Ford Motor Company]

Hi Mustang Mach-E owners,

You may see headlines today, or perhaps you’ve been lurking over in the F-150 Lightning forum where the news just went live. I’m coming to you today to share an update on our product roadmap.

There is a lot of news flying around, so I want to give you the facts straight from Ford, explain what is changing for our electric trucks. There is no impact to Mustang Mach-E. Mustang Mach-E is a great success story and is now available in almost 60 markets across the globe. It continues to be a standout electric SUV and plays an important role in the Ford portfolio.

The News: A Shift for F-150 Lightning​

With the F-150 Lightning, we proved an electric truck could be a hit, and it has remained the best-selling electric pickup. Let’s be real about what we’ve learned from you, the owners, and the market over the last few years. You love the electric performance, smoothness, and the tech, but for those that drive long distances, take frequent trips or tow heavy loads across state lines often, an F-150 Lightning might not be the truck for them. And we want it to be.

To solve that, we are shifting the next-generation F-150 Lightning to an Extended-Range Electric Vehicle (EREV) architecture. For those who aren’t familiar with EREVs, this isn't a traditional plug-in hybrid. This is an electric vehicle with an on-board generator. It’s designed to give you the electric capability you enjoy around town, but with range and towing confidence. It will be assembled right here in Dearborn at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center.

To be transparent, that means that we will end production of the current generation F-150 Lightning at the end of this year. We will prioritize multi-energy powertrains for our large SUVs, trucks and vans, and have also made the decision to no longer produce the next-generation full-size electric truck, also known as “T3”.

"Okay Brian, but what about my Mustang Mach-E?"​

I know seeing "production ending" for the Lightning might cause some swirl here. I want to be clear: This strategic shift is specific to F-150 Lightning and “T3” truck. The Mustang Mach-E continues to be a successful product for Ford, competing to attract new customers to the brand in the growing two-row electric SUV segment. Mach-E also has the highest conquest / loyalty rate in the Ford showroom. We know that for this segment (performance SUVs, commuters, and daily drivers) pure battery electric is fantastic.

At the same time, we are still investing in pure EVs. We are doubling down on the technology that powers them, including multi-energy powertrains.

• The Universal EV Platform: We are deep in development of our new Universal EV Platform (UEV) platform. This flexible architecture will underpin a new family of smaller, more affordable, and cost-efficient vehicles—starting with a midsize pickup in 2027. We believe the future of the EV market is affordable, high-volume vehicles, and that is exactly what this platform is engineered for. The UEV platform is more important than ever for Ford.
• Battery Tech: We are repurposing our Kentucky plant for grid storage and focusing our Michigan plant on LFP cells (which many of you already have in your newer Mach-Es).

No one could have predicted how the EV landscape would change in the U.S., which has impacted the industry. We took a bet, produced amazing products that so many people love, and now we must make some hard decisions in response to evolving market realities, consumer preferences, and the regulatory environment. Regardless, we are so proud of the current F-150 Lightning.

For the BEV purists, I know the EREV truck news might be tough to hear. We have a huge opportunity to get more people driving electric – whether that be plug-in hybrid, extended-range electric or pure electric vehicles, and our plans set us up to succeed in this mission.

You can read the press release on this news here. I’ll be in the comments later to answer what I can.

Brian from Ford

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[Kamuelaflyer]

are shifting the next-generation F-150 Lightning to an Extended-Range Electric Vehicle (EREV) architecture

we will end production of the current generation F-150 Lightning at the end of this year

Ford can Window dress this however they like but it’s still a horse plop sandwich. Ford can call this an improvement, or anything they like, but that doesn’t make it so. I have bought my last Ford.

 

[AliRafiee]

I think the plan with lightning is going to make the truck more usable than what it is currently. I hope the battery is not that much smaller than the current battery. And the 700 mile range is really nice.

Making more affordable EVs to increase EV sales is also a great strategy to keep the EV division going and funded. That should lead to more EV innovation.

Thanks for not killing the MME.

 

[MadManMoon]

The new EREV F-150 will meet my wife's needs completely! She wants a pure EV for weekday commuting, but a weekend tow vehicle with enough range to tow a horse trailer to and from a show without recharging. That's why we have an F-150 PowerBoost in the driveway right now instead of a Lightning...and why we'll be reserving a new EREV Lightning the second we can!

And very glad to hear the Mustang Mach-E is here to stay!

Kudos to the Model e team for making the hard choices given the rapidly changing market and forging ahead with a more balanced future. I'm excited to see what comes next!

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

very glad to hear the Mustang Mach-E is here to stay!

Don't believe a word of that. I'll lay odds we will never see a Gen 2 mme. It'll be neglected until it dies. They lose a lot of money on each sale. The fewer they sell, the less their losses.

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

I hope the battery is not that much smaller than the current battery.

Ford is in the battery business now. They have 2 LFP plants (Michigan and Kentucky). The batteries will be LFPs and smaller in size.

 

[watchdoc]

It will be interesting to see what Ford uses for the EREV generator and how large the battery ends up being. Ram chose the Pentastar V6 on their Ram REV although it's doubtful it ever sees the light of day.

 

[Jimrpa]

Thanks Brian. I’ll feel slightly optimistic when I begin to see “spy shots” of “heavily camouflaged” next generation Mustang Mach-E mules. Also, a higher end vehicle based on the Mustang Mach-E would be good.

 

[NJDevFan30]

Jim Farley's roadmap and PR spin have changed more times than I can keep tabs on.

 

[creedda]

Extremely disappointed in Ford's direction here.

Will there be a version without the gas tank? Otherwise Ford is officially out as a brand I can recommend going forward.

Cannot overstate how perfect that pickup is and how little we needed a gas engine in it.

Very happy with our 2022 Lightning as is.

 

[Gimme_my_MME]

 

[Billyk24]

new Universal EV Platform (UEV).....released in 2027 with 2026 next month. The PR department at Ford needs to begin a regular release of details of this up coming vehicle. Other companies (Rivian R2 for example) have had the spotlight shined on them for over a year now with retail sales to begin 4 months or so from now.

 

[dan_meh]

I’m ok with this news and I appreciate how clear the “won’t touch the Mustang Mach-e” statement is. That’s going to be hard to roll back.

I also see that it’s a statement of stasis. The promise is that the MME won’t be affected. There’s no promise of continuing development on the current generation of the MME. The switch is stark: it’s all about the new platform.

Speaking for myself, I’m not surprised that the investment is aimed at the new platform. Out of it, I hope there’s some two-row fast back wagon (sure, call it an SUV) that looks beautiful and is a BEV. If it’s good, I might buy it. But I don’t care if it’s called a Mustang, an Edge, or an Escape.

As an academic exercise, I do hope the Mach-e name continues. But I bought it as an electric carpool machine not as a mustang.

@Ford Motor Company, thanks for the post.

 

[Blue highway]

Electric Transit ... toast. Electric 150... toast. The MME is ~6 years old. The mythical Universal EV Platform is nowhere to be seen.

I guess it'll be a Hyundai/Kia or Rivian for the next car.

 

[YeOldeTraveller]

Electric Transit ... toast. Electric 150... toast. The MME is ~6 years old. The mythical Universal EV Platform is nowhere to be seen.

I guess it'll be a Hyundai/Kia or Rivian for the next car.

Best alternative is likely the Ioniq 5 or the EV6. I seriously considered the EV6 before I got the Mach-E. While I'm sure some will consider the R2, I don't think it is really a similar solution to a similar problem. No issue with the R2; I just do not see it as a direct replacement for the Mach-E. R1? is a totally different best.

FWIW, the current Mach-E is not the same as the OG Mach-E. Also, I am hopeful that Ford gets the next gen EV right. Only time will tell. It should be noted that we have multiple different EVs in Europe.

Finally, an EREV F-150 may be what we can sell in the current climate that sets up for a BEV F-150 in the future. Again, time will tell, but I think Ford is applying the art of the possible.

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