Ford Plans EV Variants of Explorer, Aviator, Possibly Bronco
During the company’s Capital Markets Day for investors on Wednesday, Ford deepened its commitment to electrification and made a number of key announcements. In particular, two new electric vehicle platforms are coming.
Ford's chief product platform and operations officer, Hau Thai-Tang, explained that there will be a platform for rear-wheel-drive/all-wheel-drive applications, as well as another platform dedicated to full-size pickups. The former “will underpin a range of emotive vehicles slated for production between now and 2030," he said.
- Also: Ford F-150 Lightning May Have Way More Range Than Advertised
- Also: Ford Maverick Could Spawn Other Variants, Even an EV
Among others, electric variants of the Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator have been confirmed. Thai-Tang also talked about "rugged SUVs" when he appeared alongside a silhouette of the all-new Bronco (pictured above).
Former Ford CEO Jim Hackett previously said that a Bronco Hybrid would come eventually. Now, it looks like we’ll see a fully electric Bronco, too.
The RWD/AWD platform is likely to spawn an electric Mustang on top of that, although Ford’s presentation on Wednesday made no explicit mention of it. The automaker wants to electrify its “most iconic products” first and foremost.
Beyond the F-150 Lightning, which will be built starting in the first half of 2022, production timing for Ford’s future EVs is not yet detailed.
As for possible locations, there’s the new, state-of-the-art Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, near Detroit. The Oakville Assembly Plant in Ontario will soon be retooled to produce five EV models from 2025 to 2028 as part of the latest agreement with Unifor. Unfortunately, their identity remains a mystery at this point.