ELECTRIC FORD MUSTANG COUPE, MACH-E SUV SLATED TO SHARE PLATFORM BY MID-DECADE

Earlier this month, a Ford Performance chief program engineer spoke to about the future of the Ford Mustang, saying there’s still some life left in the 5.0L Coyote V8 engine, as fans of the iconic pony car are not quite ready to part ways with it. And while we took this to be good news, the automaker may be getting ready to, at minimum, hedge the beloved engine with an electric Ford Mustang coupe.

Today Ford will have their Capital Markets Day event, during which some electric vehicle related announcements are expected. According to a report from Reuters, Ford will be sharing information about two new electric vehicle platforms heading to the market mid-decade. Crucially for muscle car fans however, the publication’s sources noted that one of these platforms is destined to underpin an electric Ford Mustang coupe.

An Electric Ford Mustang Is Imminent

According to the publication’s sources, Ford will officially announce two new platforms today that will later underpin at least nine new products around 2025. One of these platforms is slated to be used for full-size trucks and SUVs, while the other is being developed for smaller SUV offerings and cars. That second platform will be an updated variant of the GE underpinnings that the Mustang Mach-E rides on currently, and will be known as the GE2 platform. This updated architecture will debut in mid-2023, and will eventually go on to underpin the next-gen Mach-E and the Ford Mustang’s replacement, according to Sam Fiorani, head of global forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions, the same firm that previously shed light that the electric Mustang coupe would be around by 2028. Yes, that does mean an electric Mustang coupe is in the works.

The Blue Oval has been careful up until this point not to put any sort of timeline on their plans to phase out gasoline engines. This is particularly true when it comes to the Ford Mustang, as the automaker knows just how important the 5.0L Coyote V8 is to the character of the car. That said, it does actually appear that the automaker is working behind the scenes to axe the motor sooner than we initially were led to believe. If you thought fans were upset about an electric crossover wearing the Mustang badge, wait until they get a load of an electric Ford Mustang coupe.

The Ford GE2 Platform

The GE2 platform isn’t the only big change coming by the middle of the decade. The automaker will also use an electric variant of VW’s electric MQB architecture for two new EVs in Europe starting in 2023. This comes as part of the automaker’s recent business dealings, which also include the Ford Ranger and VW Amarok pickup trucks

We also expect that Ford will share more details about the TE1 electric truck platform slated to debut for 2025. The redesigned version of the recently debuted F-150 Lightning pickup will be the first vehicle to feature the platform, and is slated to debut in 2025 as well. If current industry trends are to be considered, it is quite possible that the entire F-150 lineup will be built on that platform by the time the new Lightning debuts.

Unclear Messaging From Ford

So then unlike what we’ve been told recently, Ford does appear to be coming for the Ford Mustang and its 5.0L Coyote V8 engine. We knew that this was a real possibility when the automaker announced their plans to go all electric in Europe by 2030, but Ford’s tune has always been different in the United States. CEO Jim Farely has been adamant that the current crop of Ford electric vehicles would play a key role in gauging interest in EVs here in the states, but perhaps the automaker isn’t really willing to wait. With competitors like GM, VW, and Tesla all working to meet strict EV timelines, Ford likely didn’t want to be left behind. Regardless, it is going to be quite a sad day when they get brave enough to tell us what they’re actually planning to do with the Ford Mustang. Unfortunately, that won’t happen today.