Ford could be coming around to the idea of producing an all-electric Bronco and, if so, it could be just the thing to appeal to Ford’s customer base in Australia.
While the Mustang Mach-E is not currently slated for Australia, as was confirmed to The Driven by a spokesperson on behalf of Ford Australia (or for that matter much of the US due to a combination of demand and the global chop shortage supply), the carmaker is intently aware that its customers want “toughness, performance and capability”.
When The Driven asked Ford’s local arm when it would introduce its all-electric offerings to Australia, it said it has no news to share currently about the Mach-E but a spokesperson did add that, “We’re pleased to see a growing appetite for EVs in Australia, and we’re taking a considered approach to electrification to make sure we get our offering right for our customers.
“Ford owners are very clear that they expect toughness, performance and capability from our vehicles, and so our focus is on offering EVs to meet those expectations.
And apparently, something along these lines has been hinted at.
In a Twitter thread on Sunday (US time), Ford’s US product communications manager Mike Levine tweeted a picture of a Bronco – and had a not-so-subtle dig at Tesla ,which is mired in an investigation about whether or not its advanced driver-assist system, Autopilot, was involved in the death of two men in Texas.
“Not autonomous. Not hands-free. Perfect,” Levine tweeted along with an image of the popular American off-roader, then followed up a response from a follower that they’d love an all-electric version.
“Electric Bronco would be amazing,” Levine replied.
Not autonomous. Not hands-free. Perfect. 🐐💪🏻 pic.twitter.com/BppgfyhEAT
— Mike Levine (@mrlevine) May 7, 2021
Electric Bronco would be amazing.
— Mike Levine (@mrlevine) May 8, 2021
The Bronco, as Chasing Cars pointed out in January, is a much-loved wagon now in its sixth generation in the US but an electric version has been ruled out officially by the US carmaker’s local arm.
Melbourne-based Crossover Car Conversions has apparently indicated they are looking at getting approval for an aftermarket conversion for both two-door and four-door Broncos to fill Australian demand for the wagon, but there’s always a chance Ford may change its mind if an all-electric Bronco ticks the boxes for their Australian entry into the EV market.
Ford’s spokesperson confirmed the first plug-in model to reach Australian shores will be the Ford Escape PHEV (plug-in hybrid) but added, “We’ll also be announcing more on EV line up in due course.”
Ford obviously recognises the impact that Tesla has had in changing the automotive landscape by making electric cars something that is not only a viable form of transport, but a desirable one.
In March, after Tesla boss Elon Musk tweeted that Tesla and Ford were the only US carmakers not to have gone bankrupt at some point in time, Ford CEO Jim Farley took the opportunity to retweet the comment saying, “Respect”.
Respect…. https://t.co/jJDsCvf0AY
— Jim Farley (@jimfarley98) March 5, 2021
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.