Hold the Phone! Ford Planning to Build An EV to Take On Bolt, Model 3

We were perplexed a few weeks ago when we reported that Ford increased the range of the Focus EV to 100 miles and not to something like 200. At the time, Ford's director of electrification said the range would cover the average commute for the driver.

But Automotive News reports that Ford is working on something to directly compete with the Chevrolet Bolt and Tesla Model 3. During Ford's first-quarter earnings conference call, CEO Mark Fields said the company wants to be “among the leaders or in a leadership position” when it comes EVs. This was in response to someone asking if Ford was planning to offer a 200 mile electric vehicle.

“Clearly that’s something we’re developing for,” Fields said.

This is the first time that a Ford executive has directly acknowledge plans to take on the likes of Tesla and GM.

Automotive News says Ford is working on a vehicle possibly named Model E. It would likely come in the form of hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric - much like Hyundai's upcoming Ioniq.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)