The Model E would likely be offered as a traditional hybrid, a plug-in hybrid and a pure electric vehicle, according to research firm AutoForecast Solutions. Ford has a pending trademark application on the “Model E” name. Fields announced in December that Ford would spend $4.5 billion on an effort to add 13 hybrid or electric vehicles to its lineup by 2020. He said 40 percent of Ford’s nameplates would be offered in an electrified version by that time. Ford currently sells the Focus Electric with a 76-mile range. It’s increasing that to 100 miles this fall, but even that is just half the advertised range of the Bolt, which General Motors says will arrive later this year, and the Model 3, which is expected to go on sale within two years. In addition, Nissan North America is planning to offer a redesigned Leaf that goes at least 200 miles in 2018. At this month’s SAE World Congress, several speakers said a range of at least 200 miles is needed to alleviate consumers' range anxiety about battery-powered cars. But Kevin Layden, the director of Ford’s electrification programs and engineering, said the Focus is enough to satisfy. "I think right now with the launch of the Focus Electric at 100 miles, it is going to satisfy a big chunk of the population," Layden said. "It's going to be really affordable and a step up from where we are now."
Just last month, Ford executive Kevin Layden claimed that Ford was not yet interested in developing an electric vehicle with 200 miles of range because the 100 miles already offered by the Ford Focus Electric was more than enough for most people’s daily driving needs. However it would appear the auto giant has since had a change of heart, with CEO Mark Fields recently confirming that the company is planning to launch a 200-mile EV after all. The new model will be called the Model 3, and it’s expected to hit the market sometime next year.