FORD

ELECTRIC FORD BASED ON THE VOLKSWAGEN PLATFORM

With the stubborn and tough Mustang Mach-E, Ford is doing a pretty good job in electric vehicle land. At the same time, the product range is somewhat limited. The electric Mustang is fun, but compared to many alternatives, it's quite expensive. Particularly among this image maker, there's room for expansion, and it's on the way. Ford is in a hurry and that explains why Americans buy the Volkswagen platform. In the near future, two electric Fords will appear on the MEB platform in the European market, where Volkswagen ID models, Cupra Born, Audi Q4 e-tron and Skoda Enyaq also rest. The first of these two will be a crossover in the segment of that Skoda and Volkswagen ID4. An understandable choice, because this class, which is filled by the Tesla Model Y and Kia EV6, among others, is very popular.

Short nose ... The as-yet-unnamed newcomer from Ford will soon be slightly smaller than the Mustang Mach-E, but is primarily distinguished by its proportions. The Mustang appears to be a very traditional car, with a long, bold nose and a well-defined element that references the grille of a "real" Mustang. Voluptuous fenders are also typical of the electric Mustang. The new car has a completely different cut. Like the ID4 and Enyaq, it has a rather short nose and relatively long passenger cabin. The body is slightly narrower and longer, partly as a result of the long wheelbase.

First electric Ford with Blue Oval ... The design is more elegant than the voluptuous Mustang and of course we don't find any Mustang features in the newcomer. That means the birth of the first electric Ford with the iconic 'Blue Oval' badge on the nose and rear, and also without the Mustang as a base. That's what makes its appearance so interesting. The images on these pages are based on spy footage and contain at least some truth. Although the proportions of the ID4, Enqay and Q4 are reflected in it, it is immediately noticeable that Ford showers the newcomer with its own sauce. Even details like the wing mirrors, A-pillars and door handles look like they come off the shelves at Ford, although these parts often use parts from the base car for similar constructions. For the nose we have a slender body-color assembly with a small cooling opening at the bottom of the nose, as electric Volkswagens have. At the rear, a trendy light bar can't be ruled out, but in any case, we expect a completely different look from the Mustang Mach-E with its six vertical LED elements.

Under the skin we should not expect big surprises. After all, it is 'just' a MEB product. We have specifications similar or even identical to those of the ID.4 and Enyaq. It's possible that Ford will limit the reach a bit, because that's often part of the derivatives business. One powertrain that will undoubtedly be available is the very popular option with a 77 kWh battery pack and 204 horsepower at the rear wheels. We expect a range of over 500 kilometers for this variant, comparable to sister models. The range can be expanded at the bottom with a 58 kWh version, while all-wheel drive is also possible. The extent to which Ford does what it can to differentiate the new car from Volkswagen products is demonstrated by the fact that it 'just rolled' off the production line in Cologne at Ford itself. Construction is likely to start this year. We hope to be able to see the new electric Ford with all the costumes soon.

by: Jan Lekens