Lincoln is the latest car maker to promise an all-electric lineup by 2030
A new fully-electric EV is planned for next year.
Lincoln is replicating some of its parent Ford's all-electric commitments. The automaker today announced plans to electrify its entire vehicle lineup by 2030. It also pledged that half of its global volume will be zero-emission vehicles by 2025. Before then, Lincoln will debut its first fully electric car next year to coincide with its centenary.
Ford recently earmarked $30 billion for electric vehicles as part of its plan to go all-electric in Europe by 2030. The ambitious strategy, dubbed Ford Plus, sees the US auto giant trying to catch up to rivals General Motors, Volkswagen and Tesla in the shift to electrification. In May, Ford announced that it was working on all-electric versions of its Explorer and Lincoln Aviator SUVs, along with two EV platforms respectively built for full-size trucks and all- and rear-wheel drive models.
Today, Lincoln said its electrification goals fall under the Ford Plus umbrella. The company plans to utilize the EV platform for multiple vehicle types for four new fully electric cars. An electric charging network, underpinned by Electrify America's charging infrastructure and additional partners, is also in the works and will be accessible through the Lincoln Way app.
The raft of announcements, including connected driving and tech upgrades (more on those below), follow Lincoln's decision to scrap its Rivian-based electric SUV due to complications caused by the pandemic.
In terms of design, Lincoln's Zephyr Reflection concept, unveiled at the Auto Shanghai show in April, will serve as an aesthetical blueprint for future EV models, the company said. Though that Sedan is aimed at China, Lincoln will borrow its coast-to-coast display for its fully electric vehicle, with plans to update its Star logo and provide the kind of roomy interior you'd expect from its luxury output.
Alongside the electric makeover, Lincoln is also working on a major tech upgrade for its lineup. The plans include a cloud-based Lincoln Intelligence System for connected vehicles, which will allow it to deliver iterative software updates for battery, power and computing systems. While newer models with Ford's Sync 4 infotainment system will receive continuous updates through the Lincoln Enhance platform. That includes the Lincoln Nautilus, which is due for its first update this summer, including improvements to the navigation system, Apple CarPlay and digital owner's manual. Later this fall, an additional update will provide enhancements for Amazon's Alexa digital assistant.
In addition, the company will soon roll out ActiveGlide, a hands-free driving assistance feature that only works on sections of divided highways. It follows Ford's unveiling of its BlueCruise tech, destined for vehicles with Ford Co-Pilot360 (like the Mustang Mach-E) in the second half of the year via a Snyc 4 software update. Similar to GM's Super Cruise, Ford's feature can be operated on 100,000 miles of divided highways in the US and Canada.
Further down the line, Lincoln plans to equip its future vehicles with a new Android Auto-powered digital platform. A Rejuvenation mode is also in the works that lets owners tinker with the display, lighting, massage, audio and even scent features to boost their wellbeing. Lincoln previously partnered with meditation app Calm to offer customers a year of its premium service through the Lincoln Way app.
