World’s hottest hybrid? Ford Mustang Hybrid looms as full battery-electric muscle car to rival Dodge Charger Daytona ruled out
Ford has announced that it will electrify its Ford Mustang coupe and convertible for the first time in its 60-year history, but won’t ever produce a full battery-electric version with epic power to battle the latest 50kW Dodge Charger Daytona.
Speaking during an interview with Autocar, Ford CEO Jim Farley said: “We’ve been testing and we really do believe partial electric powertrains work well for performance drivers”, hinting that electrified versions of the iconic Pony car, that has been in continuous production since 1964, are about to be offered with a hybrid or plug-in hybrid power.
There’s no word if Ford is hatching plans to roll out mild-hybrid, hybrid or plug-in hybrid powertrains, but it’s thought it will favour the latter, with the US car-maker thought to be working on a plug-in version that could combine with its mightiest 5.0-litre V8.
READ MORE:
Farley said both the beloved V8 and manual transmission will remain in production for as long as possible, but it’s the addition of plug-in power that could sustain the Mustang in some European markets where current C02-based taxation levies loom.
Despite rumours, Farley was quick to rule out developing a powerful all-electric rival for the 500kW Dodge Charger Daytona EV.
“One thing I can promise, however, is that we will never make an all-electric Mustang. I look at other users of pure-electric power such as Formula E, and even companies like Rimac, and I just don’t think that would be right for Mustang. Great for other Fords – look at the worldwide success of Transit – but not for Mustang,” Farley said.
As well as the new hybrid, Ford’s boss said a new fast four-door is also set to join the Ford Mustang coupe, convertible, and Mach-E SUV family.
“We will never build a Mustang that isn’t a Mustang. For instance, there will never be room for a small, two-row Ford SUV with a Mustang badge stuck on it. But could we explore other Mustang body forms – such as a four-door or similar? I believe we could, as long as these models possess all the performance and attitude of the original”, said the Blue Oval’s CEO.
Back in 2022, Ford officially teased a four-door version of the sedan that was said to preview the then-incoming S650. It’s now thought the four-door’s warm reception might have set the wheels in motion to pave the way for the more spacious sedan that will rival not only the combustion-powered Dodge Charger in the US but also the Audi A5 Sportback and BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe in Europe.
Farley went on to describe the car-maker’s wild Ford Mustang GTD supercar as a “down payment” for future incoming hot Mustangs, while suggesting instead of employing the tried-and-tested formula of simply adding more power. Ford Performance would refocus its efforts on weight reduction instead.
Farley confirmed a new “fun to drive” addition to the Mustang line-up for 2025, with rumours suggesting a lightweight Shelby GT 350 replacement could be in the works. It’s not known if that car might feature an electrified V8.
Finally, Farley was careful to rule out any high-riding Mustang Raptor alternative to cars like the Porsche 911 Dakar or Lamborghini Sterrato.
No timeline for either the four-door coupe or the roll-out of its next-gen hybrids was given by the Ford boss, but it’s thought the electrified powertrains will be fast-tracked to boost sales in Europe.
