Illustration by Radovan VaricakCar and Driver
- Lincoln is working on an electric luxury SUV that could be called the Mark E.
- It will be built by Rivian, an startup EV automaker.
- Expect it to arrive in 2022 with a starting price of around $70,000.
UPDATE 4/28/20: Lincoln has canceled plans for its upcoming Rivian-based EV. Read more below.
Lincoln Cancels Plans for Rivian-Based EV
This story originally appeared in the May 2020 issue of Car and Driver as part of our 25 Cars Worth Waiting For package. Our sneak preview of the most exciting cars coming in the next few years draws on knowledge from leaked product-development plans, spy photos, and loose-lipped insiders mixed in with information that has already been officially released. The reporting for this story was completed in February and early March, before the auto industry began feeling major effects of the coronavirus pandemic. As many automakers are now delaying or pausing development programs, the debut and on-sale dates reported here may change.
Lincoln’s next big thing will be a powerful and posh electric SUV. Though it will be sold by the 102-year-old brand, it’s slated to be built by Rivian, an 11-year-old startup. The name is still to be determined, but clearly there’s heritage to be appropriated with Mark E.
Like Rivian’s top-of-the-line R1S SUV, the most expensive Mark E likely will have an electric motor dedicated to each wheel with combined output exceeding 700 horsepower. We speculate that Lincoln will offer a less powerful dual-motor setup with longer range, too. The lithium-ion battery pack should be available in multiple capacities as well.
Lincoln Partners with Rivian for Its First EV
Rivian R1S Is a New Electric SUV
Rivian and Ford Tie Up on New Electric Truck
Think of this project as a sneak preview of automaker tie-ups and vehicle development in the future. As electric powertrains become a commodity, the temptation to share mechanical components across brands and companies will be even greater than it is today. Ford recently invested $500 million in Rivian, buying access to the startup’s skateboard architecture in the process. We know that the platform supports air springs and hydraulic roll control similar to the system in the McLaren 720S.
The Mark E’s competitive set will include the Audi e-tron, Cadillac Lyriq, Jaguar I-Pace, Tesla Model X, and of course the Rivian R1S. It should arrive in 2022, starting around $70,000.
Source: Motor - aranddriver.com
