Lincoln Could Roll Out Mustang-Inspired Electric Crossover as Early as 2020

Ford North America president Kumar Galhotra announced Wednesday that Lincoln has an electric crossover on the way, and chances are we'll see it in 2020.

This vehicle will ride on a dedicated electric vehicle (EV) platform that will first underpin Ford's "Mustang-inspired" electric crossover, which could be named the "Mach E." Ford promises a reveal of this vehicle in 2020, though the ETA of its Lincoln derivative—whose styling will differ—is unknown.

"You can make beautiful vehicles in different ways," Galhotra said at an event hosted by Automotive News. "The BEV technology gives us so much freedom to sculpt that vehicle exactly how we want it. We're going to create elegant Lincoln BEVs."

"You have a lot more flexibility," Galhotra continued. "It's not so much if we're going to be aggressive or not. It's how do we use all those pieces of technology to deliver on the brand essence of Lincoln, which will be understated, quiet luxury."

Because the two vehicles will share a platform and likely all drivetrain components, the automaker's claimed range, efficiency, and performance should be similar between the two models. Ford estimates a 300-mile range for the model, likely on EPA testing protocols, which are the United States' national standard and the most conservative of the three widest-used protocols.

Despite Lincoln not being a performance-oriented marque, Ford CEO Jim Hackett's reported claim that the model is "a rocket ship" means the Lincoln model should be equally as quick.

Ford confirmed Tuesday that it will investigate with its new commercial vehicle partner Volkswagen the collaborative development of EVs. However, it confirmed to The Drive that the Mustang-inspired crossover is at an advanced stage of development and that the vehicle will not be influenced by its partnership with Volkswagen.