It's Official: The Ford Mustang Will Go Hybrid In 2020
Whether you want to call it a fascinating development in the pony car world or a god damn sacrilege, this news is huge: Ford is going to make a plug-in hybrid Mustang by 2020.
Ford announced its part-electric Mustang plans today, also revealing that plug-in versions of the F-150 pickup and Transit Custom van will also be here in three year’s time.
It’s part of a $700 million investment programme that’ll add 700 jobs at the company’s Flat Rock Assembly Plant. The Michigan-based facility will be expanded, using funds which were initially earmarked for a new plant in Mexico. The Mexico factory plans - which had been harshly criticised by US President Elect Donald Trump - were confirmed to be canceled by Ford today.
But what will the car be like? Details are understandably scarce at this stage, although Ford has promised “V8 power and even more low-end torque”. It’s hard to glean much from that statement, but with the V6 Mustang dying off this year, it seems logical to expect something along the lines of the 2.3-litre Ecoboost engine supplemented with electric power in the eventual production car.
All this leads to questions surrounding the future of the actual V8 in the range, but we’re quietly optimistic about this big ol’ N/A eight-banger sticking around for a while longer.
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
when ferrari,porsche or mclaren does hybrid stuff they’re considered holy but when a mustang does it it’s bad? herp derp i only like my favorite ‘murican muscle car to have a big o’ll lump of v8 powered by bovril and gunpowder herp derp. did you all forget the last time ford had to go “eco” with the mustang? we ended up with this monstrosity.
Or how about when Ford almost made the Mustang front wheel drive and realized how stupid that was? We need whoever made that decision back. The car has sold well because of the idea and image it has. Making it at all economical does nothing but harm sales of the car, and therefore Ford’s profits. This is exactly why I’ve always been against the ecoboost Mustang since day one.
To be honest, I’d rather manufacturers kill all the downsized versions of their models and replace them with EV/hybrids and keep the big engines as top of the range. This way, they will achieve the reduction in emissions across the model range (plus we know heavily downsized engines aren’t that efficient), whilst maintaining the petrolhead-type cars.
In other words, rather than having a 2.3L, V6 and V6 turbo (instead of the na V8) Mustang, I’d prefer them to have a 2.3L Hybrid (with super low emissions) and a 5.0 V8 (to keep us happy).
Similarly, say, take something like an Audi A4. I’d prefer them to kill various 2.0 TFSI and 2.0 TDI versions and make them hybrid/electric, but use an NA V8 for S4 and RS4. Again, low emissions across the range, yet the V8 is still alive.
I know, this would not make much sense since hybrids and EVs are generally more expensive than cars with small combustion engines, but I still think that manufacturers should move in this direction (hence why I’m happy that V6 Mustang is dead; maybe it will allow the V8 to live for longer).
exactly what i think. they did not say anything about removing the v8 from the list. yet everyone is freaking out.
First the AWD Challenger, now this. What’s next, a Camaro hatchback? 6 door Charger? 1000 hp Volt???
A Camaro hatchback isn’t impossible, since Chevrolet did the same with the Cruze.
If chevy made a 1000hp volt id be the first in line to buy it actually lol that sounds amazing!
6-door Charger? Hey, it exists! XD
Great, now the crowds won’t be able to hear it coming..
Great, now they are going to make the mustang silent and deadly
I want to die now
Ford giving us some next level heresy right there
Oh God! Why?! What’s next? Electric hellcat with a supercharger? Or lifted Diesel hybrid Ram 3500?
It’s like someone would swap a prius drivetrain into a 1970 chevy el camino ss, or rx-7
It needs to stop or kittens and polar bears in south africa and kids in antarctica are going to die not from hunger or some ice melting but from angry hords of petrolheads wanting theirs big block V8 back.
Prayer to the chevy gods: please dont follow the mustangs steps. Youre amurican
This is really cool! You have an easily tunable electric motor for tons of torque, and still have a gas motor that will have mods regardless.