Ford is Reportedly Testing Mustang Hybrid Prototypes
Reports about a Ford Mustang Hybrid have surfaced since 2017. In fact, before the COVID-19 pandemic, we thought we’d see one by 2020 or 2021, but things turned out differently, as you know.
Current CEO Jim Farley revived the idea in 2023, and then Ford said in 2024 that it aims to offer a hybrid powertrain across its entire gas-powered lineup in North America by 2030. That leaves just over four years to arrive with an electrified Mustang.
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Why are we bringing it up now? Well, according to information reported by Ford Authority from sources familiar with the matter, the automaker is actively developing a gas-electric Mustang, based on the current generation (S650) and internally known by the code name S650E.
Just what type of hybrid system are we dealing with here? And when can we expect to see it on the road if it does get the green light? It's impossible to know at this point, and the fact that Ford refuses to comment on future products doesn't help. Ford Authority claims that test mules have entered the Technology Prove-Out stage.
Alas, that's all there is to report for now. The seventh-generation Mustang, launched as a 2024 model, will stretch into the next decade, but Ford has no intention of offering an all-electric Mustang. That specific role is instead filled by the Mustang Mach-E crossover, which is arguably less of a true Mustang than a hypothetical Mustang Hybrid.
As some media outlets reported back in February of this year, there could be a big addition to the lineup for 2026. A letter apparently written by Chapter 600 of the United Auto Workers and posted on Reddit stated that the Dearborn Engine Plant will add a shift towards the end of 2025 as it ramps up production. The move was said to be specifically for a new Mustang Shelby GT500.
The Shelby GT500 was last sold as a 2022 model with a supercharged 5.2-litre V8 producing 760 horsepower, well short of the almighty and highly exclusive 2025 Mustang GTD. Its successor will inevitably gain more power, but how much more? That's the big question.