Said to be the luxury maker’s first true EV
Last year, the Ford Motor Company invested half a billion dollars into electric vehicle startup Rivian. At the time, both companies said they’d be working together to develop battery technology and have since revealed the Blue Oval will use Rivian’s “skateboard” EV platform as the basis for at least one of their forthcoming electric vehicles.
It seems that Ford, like any good investor, is intent on getting their money’s worth. The company has announced that their Lincoln brand is also working together with Rivian to develop an all-new electric vehicle. Said to be the luxury maker’s first true EV, it’ll join the Aviator and Corsair Grand Touring plug-in hybrid crossover vehicles. This gives us a bit of a timeline, as the former is already available and the latter should show up later this year.
“Working with Rivian marks a pivotal point for Lincoln as we move toward a future that includes fully electric vehicles,” said Joy Falotico, president, The Lincoln Motor Company. “This vehicle will take Quiet Flight to a new place – zero emissions, effortless performance and connected and intuitive technology.”
That’s a great marketing sound byte but offers little insight into exactly what sort of EV will be peddled in Lincoln showrooms. We know Ford is busy working on an electric F-150; with there seeming to be no limit on what customers will spend on luxury pickups these days, could we be seeing the return of a Lincoln Blackwood in EV form?
Not super likely, says the wheels.ca crystal ball. A crossover of some sort is far more probable, given consumer tastes and preferences. Recall, too, that the MKZ small sedan is set to wrap up production in Mexico sometime this year, though there are few things more radioactive in Ford showrooms these days than small cars. Still, we imagine a Lincoln sans internal combustion will give us more opportunity to hear the musings of Matthew McConaughey-hey-hey.
Whatever form it will take, the Lincoln battery electric vehicle will be built off of Rivian’s flexible skateboard platform and is definitely part of Ford Motor Company’s planned equity investment in Rivian. It’s promised to be an all-new vehicle, part of Ford’s previously announced investment of more than $11.5 billion into electrification. That is a sum which includes the mystifyingly named Mustang Mach-E and, as mentioned, a fully electric version of the F-150 pickup.
How about it? Do you think Lincoln will put its badge on an electrified F-150? Or is there something different brewing at the Glass House? The comment section is yours; sound off below.
Keyword: Lincoln’s First EV is in Partnership with ... Rivian?