Lincoln will launch its first EV in 2022 followed by three more EVs that are a part of Ford's luxury brand's plan to electrify its entire fleet by the end of the decade. This is happening in time for the centenary celebrations for Lincoln which turns 100 in 2022. This is also happening nearly four years after there were murmurs about the brand's plans of electrifying its fleet. These plans are in line with its chief competitor, Cadillac, which is owned by GM, which's also going through a similar journey of electrifying its entire fleet.
Lincoln is on a spree to beat Cadillac as it wants to have a full zero emissions portfolio by the end of 2025 which is aggressive for any traditional car maker who has been making vehicles based on the internal combustion engine. For Lincoln to helps that its parent Ford has already gone big with EVs with the launch of the Mach-E and the F-150 Lightning.
This news also comes at a time when GM has announced another $35 billion which will be invested in EVs and autonomous vehicles. This is an $8 billion increase from its original plan which was unveiled in 2020.
Ford which has also invested in EV startup Rivian was supposedly going to use its skateboard platform for the Lincoln. However, plans changed and while there are still plans to co-develop a vehicle with Rivian, the first Lincoln EV wouldn't be that.
Lincoln Electric SUV To Use Ford-Backed Startup's 'Skateboard' Chassis
This car will be based on a new EV architecture developed by Ford. This was announced in May as a part of a plan to have two flexible platforms - one for smaller SUVs and sedans and another for larger pickups. This second platform is the one that's being used by the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Ford F-150 Lightning. The new flexible platform will allow for rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicles which will underpin electric versions of the Lincoln Aviator and Ford Explorer.
Lincoln plans its first EV to join its plug-in hybrids the Aviator and Corsair. it has hinted that the design of this fires EV could be similar to the Zephyr Reflection concept that was revealed at the Shanghai Motor Show in 2021. This vehicle is expected to be sold in both US and China.
Lincoln is also planning for minimal interiors in the vehicle with a massive panoramic sunroof alongside the entire car being operated by Google's new Android Automotive platform for which Ford has signed up as one of the major partners. The car will obviously also come with advanced driver assistance features for hands-free driving on some highways in the US.
