Rumors of an electrified powertrain for the next-generation Mustang are swirling yet again after a former Ford engineer reportedly leaked his involvement in hybrid powertrain development for the pony car's forthcoming redesign, further bolstering expectations for more electrified models.
The most recent tip comes from LinkedIn (yet again). An eagled-eyed member of the Mustang7G.com forums spotted an engineer who reportedly listed experience working on two separate powertrains marked as hybrids — one based on the 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder found in the base car and EcoBoost high performance models, along with one based on what appears to be a variant of the Coyote V8.
Yeah, that's right. A V8 hybrid. While Ford has not yet paired a V8 with an electric motor in any production offerings, a pony car would certainly be a good fit for such a treatment. And this is not the first time we've heard rumors of a hybrid V8 from Ford; in fact, the last time we heard one, all-wheel drive was in the mix too.
The key to the whole formula is Ford's 10-speed automatic transmission. This gearbox was designed from the ground up to allow enough modularity for electrification, and it is utilized in virtually every rear-wheel-drive-based platform Ford offers. It's the gearbox that puts the F-150 PowerBoost Hybrid's 430 horsepower and 570 lb-feet of torque to the ground, but you'll also find it in the 2021 Ford Bronco, Ranger and Explorer, along with Lincoln's rear-drive offerings.
Not only can Ford hybridize this transmission pretty much across the board, but Autoblog has been told (but is unable to officially confirm) that hybrid powertrains have been prototyped for several of these models. The only thing we don't know for certain is whether (or when) Ford will green-light those projects. Stay tuned!
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