Ford’s new all-electric auto division will develop EV and connectivity technologies for the company.
Eight years ago, Tesla wanted to use “Model E” to complete is “SEX” lineup.
Yes, this was done to spite Tesla.
Ford put its foot down back in 2014: there was no way Elon Musk was going to get the Model E moniker for his line of EVs. It’s unclear if at the time Ford had plans for the name but they do now.
Last week, Ford announced that they were going to split its activities into two separate divisions. One will involve the internal combustion engine while the other will focus on EVs. It is the latter will henceforth be known as Model e. The lowercase “e” is intentional.
“We chose Model e to signal our ambition,” Mark Truby, Ford chief communications officer, told the Detroit Free Press. “Model T changed the way people moved and changed the world in many ways. Model e has the same ambition.”
Ford Model e will develop and work on battery electric vehicles and connectivity. Ford CEO Jim Farley will lead this division which will exist alongside Ford Pro (commercial division) and Ford Blue, the ICE part of the company.