It feels like Lincoln has been waiting, assessing the situation, and playing it safe. As other luxury brands made grand decisions to shift to battery-electric power, implementing bold and aggressive strategies to achieve those goals, Ford Motor Company CEO Jim Farley resisted similar pressure from his own team. He refused to take Lincoln down that path.
"And I'm sure glad we didn't," Farley revealed to Hagerty in an interview during Monterey Car Week. Ford Motor Company's head honcho told the publication that the automaker is "starting to discover our brand location for Lincoln that makes sense," and that position likely includes just a few EVs.
Instead, Farley imagines extended-range electric vehicles would better serve the brand's needs, with an all-hybrid and EREV lineup. The few EVs Lincoln could have would "be more on the affordable side."
"I don't think we want to make an affordable hybrid as a Lincoln, but an affordable EV Lincoln, with over-the-top color choice and over-the-top interior customization would make sense," Farley told Hagerty. Ford Motor Company plans to implement a new manufacturing process for future electric vehicles, which could easily churn out low-priced EVs for the Lincoln brand.
Farley also said that one area Lincoln could differentiate itself is with experience, both digital and physical. The line between mainstream and luxury is already blurring, making it harder for software-defined vehicles to stand out from each other. But one way to achieve that is to focus on cutting-edge features that enhance the experience enough for people to pay.
Or maybe the promise of a gasoline engine may suffice.
Source: Hagerty
