Ford Motor Co. launched production of the Mustang Mach-E this week at its joint venture with local partner Changan Automobile Co. in the southwest China municipality of Chongqing.
The company began taking orders for the locally produced electric crossover this week, with deliveries ready to begin at the end of the year, Ford’s China unit said.
The Mustang Mach-E will be sold via a direct sales network covering Chinese cities.
Ford has opened 13 direct stores in major Chinese cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Chengdu.
It plans to boost the number of city stores to 25 by the end of the year and further expand to more than 100 in five years.
The Mustang Mach-E is the second full-electric vehicle Ford has produced in China, following the battery version of the Territory compact crossover.
In the first nine months, Ford brand delivered 164,903 sedans, crossovers, SUVs and multi-purpose vehicles in China, virtually unchanged from the same period last year.
Ford China hasn’t disclosed the brand’s sales in the third quarter.