What's all this about?

Ford is going to punt out no fewer than 13 new global electrified vehicles by the year 2021, as it pumps in $4.5 billion (£3.68bn) into alternative-fuel machines. It reckons that, by 2032, there will be more hybrids and EVs on sale in the world than there will be petrol- or diesel-powered cars.

Right, all very nice - but have we got any details on the 13?

Not all of them, but seven of them have been announced. And one of them is very interesting indeed. It would seem Ford is going to make a hybrid Mustang.

You what?!

Seriously. Said to 'deliver V8 power and even more low-end torque', it will go on sale in the US in 2020. It's not confirmed for other parts of the world yet, but it's hard to see why it wouldn't come to Europe if it's a hit in the States.

Wow! What else is Ford planning?

A hybrid version of its totemic F-150 pick-up for the US and the Middle East, a couple of hybrid cop cars that are pursuit-rated for work on US police forces, a high-volume autonomous vehicle designed for commercial ride hailing or ride sharing (again, this is US-only at first) and then two that are coming to Europe. One of them is a plug-in hybrid Transit Custom, while the other is said to be a fully electric SUV that's capable of 300 miles on a charge.

This is an incredible expansion - where is Ford going to build all of these cars?

It has chucked $700 million (£572m) into its Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Michigan, which will become a centre for autonomous and electric vehicles. That will create 700 new jobs in the area. Additionally, Ford has committed to making its utility-based hybrids with turbocharged EcoBoost engines, rather than normally aspirated units, to further improve performance and economy.

Matt Robinson - 4 Jan 2017