Ford to Rollout 13 Electric Vehicles By 2020, Including 300-Mile SUV and Self-Driving Taxi

Ford will rollout an all-new, fully electric SUV with a 300-mile range by 2020, the company announced today.

Alongside that vehicle, Ford is expected to bring 13 new electric and hybrid vehicles to market within the next three years, including hybrid versions of the automaker’s Mustang and F-150 models. The company has, so far, detailed seven of the 13 vehicles, which also includes two pursuit-rated police vehicles, as well as a “high-volume” autonomous vehicle for ride hailing and ridesharing. Seven of those vehicles should be delivered to showrooms by 2020, according to a press release.

Those electric vehicles are part of a larger effort — including a $4.5 billion investment — in exploring electrified vehicles, Engadget reported. As part of that initial investment, Ford is pouring $700 million into its Flat Rock, Michigan assembly plant, as well as creating 700 new jobs at that facility. When it’s all said in done, the factory should be “capable of producing high-tech and autonomous vehicles.”

Ford already has several plug-in hybrids on the market, including one true electric vehicle: the 2017 Focus Electric. Still, if Ford actually delivers a 300-mile range vehicle, it’ll mark a substantial improvement over the Focus’ 115-mile driving distance, Roadshow reported. That might go a long way to reduce EV drivers’ “range anxiety.”

The company also announced that it would aggressively pursuing development EV services and solutions, including “fleet management, route planning and telematics solutions.” The company also said that it’s partnering with other companies to develop EV wireless charging pads, as well as a network of EV charging stations across Europe, USA Today reported.

Part of that $4.5 billion investment comes from the $1.6 billion the company was previously planning on using toward a new manufacturing plant in Mexico. The company has since cancelled those plans. Instead, Ford will build the next-generation of Focus in an existing Mexican manufacturing plant, while making room for newer products to be manufactured within the U.S.

Ford is not the only company exploring electrified vehicles — not by a long shot. But Ford’s investment in manufacturing mass market EV technology is indicative of the company trying to stay ahead of the EV market.

“Ford is committed to being a leader in providing consumers with a broad range of electrified vehicles, services and solutions that make people’s lives better,” Ford CEO Mark Fields said.

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