A Ford Mustang hybrid originally planned for an upcoming redesign has been cancelled as Ford moves to make the entire Mustang lineup electric within the next five years, Autoweek reported Wednesday.
The Ford Mustang Hybrid was originally announced in 2017 and was slated to debut in 2020 on the current-generation Mustang platform. That obviously didn’t happen, but the Mustang Hybrid was thought to be one aspect of a redesigned Mustang debuting next month at the 2022 Detroit auto show, and slated to go on sale as a 2024 model.
But the hybrid version has been nixed, with Ford instead planning an all-electric Mustang based on the Mustang Mach-E platform debuting in 2028 (likely as a 2029 model) as a replacement for remaining internal-combustion Mustang models, according to the report.
2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E
While crossover SUV instead of the traditional two-door coupe and convertible, the Mach-E is already part of the Mustang lineup, of course, and demand has been far stronger than Ford anticipated. Having it in the lineup likely serves the same purpose as the hybrid in offsetting fleet emissions, Autoweek noted.
Ford is in the process of tripling Mach-E output from what it would have been to meet demand. And it’s planning to incrementally “reengineer” the Mach-E, which should help keep the platform fresh for use in the reported new Mustang variant in a few years’ time.
Still, we know that Ford has been working on a hybrid Mustang for a long time, so if true, its cancellation is a bit of a surprise. We’d be less surprised if General Motors confirmed the electric Chevrolet Camaro that’s long been a focus of speculation.
2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT
It’s a different approach than Dodge appears to be following—retiring its Charger and Challenger completely, to be replaced by an EV muscle car. The redesigned gasoline Mustang is scheduled to enter production in 2023 for the 2024 model year—just as Challenger and Charger production is winding down.
Ford has the advantage of not having the urgency to replace an aged platform like Dodge, but this report still points to a relatively short lifespan for the next-generation Mustang gasoline models, and seemingly some wasted effort on the Mustang Hybrid as Ford quickly shifts to the same all-electric footing as Dodge. Would having a hybrid Mustang and an electric one in the lineup at the same time muddle the message?
