Ford Motor Company is getting closer to releasing a monumental vehicle that will be a major first for the company: a fully-electric, Ford Mustang-inspired SUV. Ford announced the vehicle’s development at the Detroit Auto Show in January and just recently released what appears to be a teaser image of what the back of the vehicle may look like.
From the image, it appears that the SUV will feature three-bar tail lights similar to the Mustang. It also shows a coupe-like body shape toward the back of the vehicle, which looks somewhat like the Mustang from behind.
The fully-electric utility is being referred to as the “Mach 1,” a tribute to the first-ever performance package offered for the 1969 Ford Mustang. In a January video released by Ford, Ford hinted that the vehicle’s design was inspired by both the Mustang and the Ford Explorer.
The running name appears to fit the vehicle not just because it will be inspired by the Ford Mustang, but because it will be a performance utility. Details about its performance specs have yet to be released.
The Mach 1 is being developed by Ford Team Edison, Ford’s electric vehicle development team based in Detroit’s historic Corktown neighborhood. Darren Palmer is the director for Ford Team Edison Global Product Development; he also had a hand in the development of the new Shelby GT350R.
He expressed his excitement over the development of the vehicle in a Medium post about Ford’s new commitment to EVs.
“Having just taken delivery of a Shelby GT350R, those in the dark about electric vehicles might think that they chose the wrong guy in that I’m a Mustang enthusiast. But as my team and I have quickly found out, the new generation of electric vehicles is just as exciting?—?only different,” he wrote. “It’s exciting to know that my stint leading development of the next-generation Mustang actually comes full circle as we get ready to launch our electric Mustang-inspired utility. I, for one, can’t wait to have one?—?side-by-side?—?with my Shelby GT350R.”
The Mach 1 is slated to be one of the first vehicles Ford rolls out from their upcoming portfolio of EVs. The company has invested $11 billion into developing 16 fully-electric vehicles, and 40 EVs total, to their global portfolio by 2022.
Palmer says Team Edison is excited to venture into new territory that will result in a large portfolio of Ford EVs for customers to choose from.
“It’s an exciting time to be bringing forward a winning portfolio of electrified vehicles,” Palmer said. “All of us here have unknowingly prepared for this our entire careers.”