The only all-electric cars that Ford currently sells are compliance cars built on existing gas-powered platforms. Earlier this year, the automaker announced that its first all-electric car built to be electric from the ground up will come out in 2020. Raj Nair, Ford’s Chief Technology Officer, now says that the vehicle will be mass-produced, hinting that it will not be a compliance car, and priced affordably. There’s no doubt that Ford is late to market when it comes to long-range electric vehicles. Its biggest competitor, GM, already has the Chevy Bolt EV, but where Ford could differentiate itself is with a high-volume electric car – something the Bolt EV is not. In an interview with Business Insider this week, the CTO emphasized that the vehicle will be “mainstream”: “To get electrification volumes where we would all like them to be we have to make sure we make the affordability targets or otherwise they are going to stay as a niche item or a pure luxury item,” The all-electric crossover utility vehicle (CUV) is expected to be available in 2020. While it is not expected to be the only mass-market all-electric vehicle at that time, several other automakers are still only planning low-volumes for EVs on the same timeline. Also differentiating itself from other EVs, Nair is promising a longer range than the current competition: “We think we have a technology path that will get us a 300 plus miles range and an affordable crossover utility that will be fully competitive,” In the crossover/small SUV space, Tesla is also planning an entry in the segment around the same time: Tesla Model Y. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said earlier this month that the vehicle is planned for 2019-2020 and that it will be built on the automaker’s next-generation platform. When Ford announced the electric CUV, it also confirmed that it has other electric vehicles in the work, but most of them are hybrids or plug-in hybrids. They also said that there are some that remain unannounced and therefore, EV enthusiasts hope for possible good surprises on the all-electric front. In the meantime, the CUV is planned to enter production at Ford’s Flat Rock plant in 2020 and to become available in North America, Europe and Asia. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More. Subscribe to Electrek on YouTube for exclusive videos and subscribe to the podcast. VIDEO
Ford 's first all - electric vehicle will be released in 2020 , and company executives have said the model will be mass - produced and affordable . To increase the uptake of electric vehicles ( batteries ) , the automaker will " have to make sure we make the affordability possible or otherwise they are going to stay as a niche item or a pure luxury vehicle , ” said CTO Raj Nair . The company has also promised that its EV will be able to drive some 300 miles on a single charge . EVs could be cheaper than internal combustion engine by 2030 As battery - making facilities arrive in Europe , EVs could be cheaper than their internal combustion engine counterparts by 2030 , said Bloomberg New Energy Finance analyst Nikolaos Soulopoulos . Large - scale battery - making facilities are planned in Poland , Hungary and Germany to meet demand from major European automakers , including Renault and Volkswagen . Worldwide battery - making capacity is set to more than double from 103 GWh today to 278 GWh by 2021 , BNEF said . The increase in capacity will help to drive down costs for automobiles , which make up 40 % of the cost of EVs . Prices will fall by 43 % by 2021 , from $ 273 / kWh today to around $ 156 / kWh , he said .