The Ford Kuga, Explorer and Ford Transit will receive electrified variants badged as Energi in 2020, according to a recent trademark filing.
In January, Ford CEO Mark Fields announced the advent of F-150, Ford Mustang, Transit hybrids and an all-electric SUV. However, given the three new trademarks’ European origins, these are likely to be Europe’s end of Ford’s electrification push, while the Mustang will come later.
A C-Max Energi hybrid was previously sold in Europe, so the latest models’ addition to the Energi range suggests at least a hybrid from each. Fields’ announcement of an electric small SUV along with the trademark suggests that a standalone model will sit alongside the Kuga, the Energi variant of which will be a plug-in hybrid (PHEV).
A Ford Mustang hybrid, as well as Transit and F-150 hybrids will arrive by 2020, as will an all-electric small SUV, in the brand’s renewed electric vehicle push.
The models will be built at Ford’s Flat Rock assembly plant in Michigan, US, and is the main thrust of Ford’s $4.5 billion (around £3.7bn) investment in electrified powertrains, which has now been extended by $700 million (around £573m). Two new hybrid police cars and a hybrid autonomous car also feature in the plans.
The facelifted Mustang has now officially been revealed - read more here
Ford has not yet disclosed which engines the hybrid vehicles will be powered by, but the Mustang will offer “V8 power and even more low-end torque”, suggesting a smaller engine – perhaps the 2.3-litre Ecoboost petrol - will be bolstered by electric power.
The Mustang hybrid will go on sale in other markets, including the UK, after its introduction in 2020. The PHEV Transit will go on sale in Europe in 2019.
Ford’s first all-electric SUV, which “will be nothing like anything we build today, and will be built in Flat Rock”, according to Ford CEO Mark Fields, and will have a range of at least 300 miles. The SUV will be available in Europe, North America and Asia.
Ford is also developing a wireless charging method, also announced at the press conference in January.
Read about the CES-bound autonomous Ford Fusion hybrid here
“We at Ford plan to be a leader in electrification, autonomy and also connectivity,” said Fields.
The other prong of Ford’s electrification strategy is the hybrid, fully autonomous car to be used for mobility schemes. The car will not have a steering wheel or pedals, reflecting the level of control given to the car. This car, based on a Ford Fusion (Mondeo in Europe), is was shown at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in prototype form.
