Ford to kill the pony car’s combustion engines altogether.
Whether we like it or not, the demise of the ol’ combustion engine is inevitable. It’s not going to happen today or tomorrow, but there are already plenty of signs the ICE is being gradually retired. A new report claims even the world’s most popular sports car will be embracing zero emissions before the end of the decade. According to Autoline Daily, the two-door Mustang will follow in the Mach-E’s footsteps by going purely electric.
It’s not going to happen overnight as the report claims the Blue Oval will start production of the Mustang sans EcoBoost or V8 in December 2028, which would make it a 2029MY product. Interestingly, Autoline Daily claims the EV will effectively be the next-generation ‘Stang, which would imply the current sixth-generation model (S550) will stick around for another seven years despite being launched in late 2013.
It is believed the next Mustang will drop the combustion engines altogether to embrace electric power. Production is set to take place at Ford’s Flat Rock Assembly in Michigan where the current model is being assembled. It seems a bit odd for the existing Mustang to have what would be a 15-year life cycle, so one possible scenario is the S650 coming before the electric model isn’t being considered as a fully fledged next-generation car.
In other words, the next Mustang with combustion engines might not be all that different compared to the current model once it will be unveiled for the 2022 or 2023 model year. A previous report from Automotive News claimed the S650 would enter production in the fourth quarter of 2022 and have an eight-year life cycle. Talks of an all-wheel-drive system have also emerged, but nothing is official at this point.
We now have contradicting reports about the future of the popular sports car, and a lot could change between now and the end of 2028. It seems highly unlikely the current Mustang will soldier on until then without switching to a next generation, even if that won’t be an all-new Mustang. Aside from the Mach-E SUV, Ford has already electrified its pony car in more ways than one, coming out in recent years with the Cobra Jet 1400 and Lithium EV concepts.
These showcars go to show the people behind the Mustang are actively toying around with the idea of removing its gasoline engine, but we’d wager it will be a while before customers will have no other option but to go electric
