Ford has announced that it will unveil a total of seven new electrified vehicles in the next five years, including a hybrid version of the Mustang.
The manufacturer said it’s due to invest $700 million into its Flat Rock plant in Michigan in an effort to revolutionise its factory capabilities and produce new electric and autonomous vehicles.
Along with the hybrid Mustang, Ford will also build a plug-in hybrid version of the popular Transit Custom van, along with a hybrid F-150 pickup truck and an all-new fully electric SUV.
Ford says that it’s focusing on electrifying its most popular and best-selling cars first, with the plug-in Transit due out in 2019, while the hybrid Mustang and F-150 will follow a year later in 2020.
So far, details are scant but Ford has so far unveiled that the hybridised Mustang will couple the traditional V8 engine with an electric motor for “even more low-end torque”.
Both the Mustang and F-150 hybrids will be available exclusively in the North American markets to begin with, with the possibility of rolling them out to wider markets if they perform successfully.
Mark Fields, Ford’s president and CEO, said: “Our investments and expanding lineup reflect our view that global offerings of electrified vehicles will exceed gasoline-powered vehicles within the next 15 years.”
The news also marks an about-face on behalf of Ford, which announced that it’s to scrap plans to expand production in Mexico in favour of investing more heavily in its US-based production facilities.
Ford previously came under fire from US President-elect Donald Trump, who publicly scolded various car manufacturers for opting to build their vehicles south of the border.
The announcement claims that, in addition to the $700 million to be invested in Flat Rock, the development of its new electrified vehicles will create at least 700 new jobs at the plant.
