The Ford Mustang sub-brand currently features two vehicles: the Mustang Mach-E, a fully electric crossover, and the 2024 Ford Mustang, which represents the first iteration of the S650 generation. For the latter vehicle, there are concerns about the coupe’s future amid the ongoing EV pivot, given that it may be the last gasoline model ever. But in a new interview with Bloomberg, Ford CEO Jim Farley potentially charted an alternative to the long-running nameplate: a Ford Mustang hybrid coupe. Additionally, it seems like he (and by extension, the company) is far more bullish on an electrified variant than a battery electric model.
The interview, which focused on the newly revealed 2025 Ford Mustang GTD, took a turn toward a discussion on how EVs may come up short when talking about the emotional connection between human and automobile. Farley reiterated that the company is perhaps more willing to keep gasoline powered vehicles around for longer than previously thought, via electrification. “We cannot keep saying [companies are] all-electric or all-hybrid, and there’s nothing in between. That’s baloney. There’s going to be lots of gray degrees of partial electrification that’s still good for the planet. You can still have that emotional experience. I think that’s where we’re going to be for a while,” Farley said. “So when you say: Could it be a fully electric Mustang coupe? Nah, probably not. But could there be a partially electrified Mustang coupe—and it be world-class? Yeah.”
Of course, what Farley is saying essentially saying here is that a Ford Mustang hybrid coupe is far more likely to become a reality than a fully electric coupe. It is also the first time that a company executive has even mentioned a hybrid or electrified Mustang, and comes almost one year after news that the automaker unofficially cancelled the hybrid variants.
That Farley would even hint at a Ford Mustang hybrid is interesting, especially considered how the company is seemingly more bullish on hybrids vehicles than it has been, even as recently as 2022. As Ford Authority recently reported, the company aims to quadruple hybrid vehicle sales within the next five years, with the 2024 Ford F-150 set to gain an additional hybrid variant for the upcoming refresh. Additionally, the company has pushed back its EV production run rate targets for 2024 and 2026.
We’ll have more on the Ford Mustang soon, so subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford Mustang news, and for continuous Ford news updates.
Comments
It sounds like common sense has finally reached the upper echelons of Ford. The hard pivot to EVs just didn’t work, and it likely never will. We need an “all of the above” solution. Hybrids make much more sense that EVs ever did.
Did Farley’s EV tour finally convince him that EVs are not the way?
A few years ago Wallstreet pundits criticized Ford for being late to the EV game. Then they set their sights on Toyota.
Reality? 1 trick pony Tesla is in trouble if we’re already seeing EV saturation in the market space, and that will be doubly bad for them if we hopefully get an energy independence Republican in office next November.
Ford and all other auto manufactures will still have to work toward zero emission vehicles sooner than later if you understand the science behind climate change and the immense cost to civilized man the longer we drag or feet. There are very few countries that have not experienced the high cost of global warming. Think forest and grass fires burning down towns, resorts and utility lines and cell towers, droughts and floods driving up food costs.
Oh, enlightened beings. Please tell us how we are all doomed if we don’t kow-tow to your vastly superior knowledge and insatiable desire to control other people. If you understood the immense cost and impossible logistics and impossible price tag of making a near-term switch to EVs, then you would know that EVs are “mission impossible.”
Don’t you just love all the warmed-over tropes, Timothy. And they call you the “sheep”.
You could take all the ICE vehicles off the road and replace them with EVs and it would not make one bit of difference in reducing global warming. Not One Bit. As long and China and India are not held to the same strict standards as the US, this nation doing anything to curb “global warming” is a very expensive exercise in futility.
Timothy, do you work directly for Blackrock and/or Vanguard?
The electric car discussion brings up the word “never” quite a bit. Ford will never do such and such and the “I’ll never own an electric vehicle” folks. I think their lineage goes back to the hominids that told the brighter and more adventurous types that they would never survive if they started living on the ground instead of the trees.
Sorry your sky if falling. EVs will be one part of the solution. They aren’t the solution.
I can verify that the hybrid is a good option. My hybrid Maverick is way better than I thought it would be, with 50 mpg in town and 38-40 highway, and ample power. 600 mile range and no downtime to recharge.
Jim Farley’s response is not surprising to this long time Mustang fan at all. Every new technology, especially if there is any degree of emotional attachment, has to be transitioned into gradually. Hybrids are a good way to accomplish this. Early on, everyone was bashing Toyota for a similar stance, and have since softened the rhetoric about this approach. I think that you’ll see more and more ICE based manufacturers taking this approach, presuming that they can balance the ever tightening emissions requirements.
I think Ford has realized that EVs are NOT the shining stars that everybody predicted. Farley is absolutely correct that hybrids are the answer, especially in remote areas.
Another niche of market share that Ford will concede to Stellantis of all companies. While their Banshee will take the EV muscle car market, ( a market the Tesla is not in yet), Ford will procrastinate and later try to play catch up, but it will be too late. Dinosaur thinking is what will help Ford become extinct like Kodak and Blockbuster.
The EV Charger reveal was a HUGE flop. NOBODY in the enthusiast community wants that POS.
Ford had a patent published last year of a parallel hybrid Mustang, yet it was never produced. Now Chevy has the E-Ray Corvette which is a parallel hybrid and everyone is interested. So Ford, bring back the Fusion, which was the best hybrid sedan ever, and make the hybrid Mustang, too. I still love my 2014 Fusion Hybrid!
My 2018 C-Max is not amused by your “best hybrid sedan” assertion.
Your C-Max is not a “hybrid sedan”!
Makes sense. a 3.0L Hybrid puts out more Torque than the new Mustang Dark Horse with nearly as much hp. Slap a hybrid system on the 3.5L ecoboost and 2.3L ecoboost and the V8 is useless.
Part-time employee a Porsche Audi BMW (fact) EV‘s are a waste of time and money unless you can buy one for $25,000 and only go back-and-forth to work but you have to have a second vehicle , hybrid is the way to go amazing gas mileage amazing power and no need to recharge!
when Ford refuses to listen to it’s customers eventually the message gets to the ivory tower. Why does this always have to be so painful ?
As a pony car fan, I’d be all for an AWD hybrid Mustang! Still get the V8 sound and feel, but with electric to help with AWD? That would be amazing to me.
Are there any better words in then “Common Sense”??
Thank you Mr. Farley. Finally an Executive that can see into the future. Now, let’s start up a Green Hydrogen Hybrid. It can be done; it must be done.
Give Lincoln a new Thunderbird based on S650, and Mark-number as a trim. Powerboost 3.5t base motor, aluminum body panels, awd option. Mix in features of the GTD if possible: the transaxle, the hydraulic-active shocks but on top of magride. Afterwards, the next Multimatic special can be a Lincoln.
Dream on. Never going to happen. Lincoln isn’t allowed to be better than Ford. The profits on S650 would be amazing if there were longer wheelbase versions such as a proper Lincoln LS sports sedan, Continental sedan/ coupe and Mark9 but it’s never going to happen. A 4 seater Thunderbird isn’t in the works either using S650, but a Thunderbird SUV could be in the near future unfortunately.