It will apparently be built at Ford’s Cologne plant where the Fiesta city car is currently built.
Ford gambled when it gave its first electric crossover Mustang design cues, but it seems to have been a gamble that has paid off. Sure, there are still those who don’t agree with the decision, but the majority of people seem to like it, and in two years’ time, they will apparently be able to buy a smaller interpretation of the same formula, underpinned by a VW group platform.
AutoExpress sheds more light on Ford’s recently announced electrification plans for Europe. The Blue Oval has officially announced that it will buy 600,000 MEB platforms from Volkswagen over a period of six years starting in 2023. It also confirmed that the vehicles it will underpin with these platforms will be assembled at its plant in Cologne, which the manufacturer wants to turn into a hub for electrification.
According to the source article, at least some of the 600,000 MEBs purchased from VW will be used to underpin what AutoExpress describes as a mini-Mach-E. Basically a smaller version of the Mach-E crossover that we’ve already seen, although it will be more mechanically similar to a VW ID.3 and ID.4 than to the actual Mach-E.
The sub-Mach-E crossover will be about the same size as a Ford Focus, but as we’ve seen with other MEB-underpinned cars, interior room will be closer to that of cars from a class above. We don’t currently know any specifics, but the mini-Mach-E will probably use the same batteries and motors already used by its VW group stablemates (58 or 77 kWh battery packs and power outputs between 143 and 201 horsepower for standard models).
And this Mustang-inspired model may not be the only EV to come out of Cologne within the next few years. With the order for 600,000 platforms, there is a good chance that not all of them will be used for the same model – Ford may choose to build more than one MEB-underpinned pure-EV at its Cologne site.
The source article also features a 2019 quote from Ford’s design boss for Europe, Murat Gueler, who said
The Mustang influence wasn’t considered until an earlier direction with the car wasn’t really working. Once we introduced Mustang as inspiration, it came together quickly. We’re really excited by what this brings to the electric car, and yes we have already talked about expansion, to some sort of family.
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