Ford irked the Mustang community early this year when it announced that the cherished Mach 1 name would be used on an electric crossover SUV with styling inspired by its iconic pony car.
Due to the strong negative response to the use of the name on something other than a Mustang, Ford in August said the SUV would go by a different name when it arrives for 2020.
We now have the potential reveal of the new name Ford has chosen: Mach E.
First discovered by The Drive, Ford on November 26 filed trademark protection for “Mach E” and “Mach-E” with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The filings specifically pertain to use on "motor vehicles, namely, electric vehicles, passenger automobiles, trucks, sport utility vehicles, off-road vehicles, and structural parts, fittings, and badges therefor; metal license plate frames."
A source with information on Ford's future plans who is not allowed to publicly discuss future products said the Mach E name has been discussed among executives.
Motor Authority reached out to Ford for comment on the trademark filings. A spokesperson simply said, “Trademark applications are intended to protect new ideas but aren’t necessarily an indication of new business or product plans.”
Early testers for the SUV have been spotted in the wild and Ford in September released a shadowy teaser that showed clear influences from the Mustang in the final design. All Ford will say about the vehicle is that it will have 300 miles of range.
We'll add that there's another vehicle Ford has in the pipeline that could be the recipient of the name. Recall, the automaker is working on a Mustang hybrid for 2020 and Mustang Mach E certainly has a nice ring to it.
