2018 Detroit Motor Show: Ford electric SUV to wear ‘Mach 1’ badge

FORD has revealed that it will bring the “Mach 1” badge out of retirement, and slap it on an all-new “performance battery electric vehicle” due in 2020.

Ford’s global executive vice-president, Raj Nair, confirmed the SUV would be built on an all-new platform, ruling out the idea that the vehicle would be based on the same underpinnings that will go underneath the Ford Ranger-derived Bronco, also due in 2020.

It was also confirmed via Ford’s North American communications manager Mike Levine, who posted “Is that all the news? Heck no. High performance battery electric SUV coming soon!” to Twitter, including an image of the Mach 1 logo.

The announcement sparked a big reaction from Ford fans online. “Don't do it,” wrote one on Twitter. “You will have ruined the prowess of the Mach 1 name! Give us an electric fastback/hatchback Mustang instead to compete with the Tesla Roadster at a fraction of the price!”

“That is messed up... an electric Ford Mach 1? Why would they do such horrid things?” asked another. “We must stand against this proposed abomination! The Mach 1 is a two-door Ford Mustang and should always be a two-door Mustang!” was another reply.

The hi-po electric SUV project is also likely to be the first product from Ford’s Team Edison, a battery-electric vehicle skunkworks formed late last year with the single-minded purpose of fast-forwarding the US-based global car maker’s EV development. Ford has also recently consolidated all its future battery-electric platform development in Detroit.

At the time, the car maker announced that Sherif Marakby, its vice-president of autonomous vehicles and electrification and a Ford veteran who first joined the company in 1990, would lead the team.

“Ford is focused on driving its electric vehicle business forward, both with hybrid vehicles and full battery-electric vehicles with research led by Ford’s Team Edison,” Ford said. “The team is working to accelerate both the development and adoption of electric vehicles.”