Ford Delays Three-Row EV SUV to 2027, Next-Gen Electric Truck to 2026
Ford is delaying its three-row electric SUV from 2025 to 2027, which confirms rumors from a recent report.
Ford is also pushing back its next electric truck by a year to 2026, while an electric commercial vehicle is coming by the middle of the decade.
Along with an affordable EV platform, Ford also expressed that it will offer hybrid powertrains on every model by 2030.
Ford is reassessing plans for several future electric vehicles. The company today said that it is shifting focus from a new three-row EV SUV to a more affordable compact EV. Ford's announcement confirms recent rumors, provides an updated timeline on its next-generation electric truck and commercial vehicle, and reveals a newfound dedication to expanding its hybrid offerings.
Ford had originally targeted a 2025 release date for its first three-row electric vehicle, which will be built at the Oakville Assembly Plant in Ontario, Canada. That model is now being delayed until 2027. Ford's press release explicitly refers to "three-row electric vehicles."The plural version makes it unclear how many models are actually planned. The company says this delay "will allow for the consumer market for three-row EVs to further develop" and will let Ford use more advanced battery technology. Ford's three-row EV is expected to bring the long-running Explorer nameplate into the electric market and may also spawn Lincoln's first EV, inspired by the 2022 Star concept.
Ford is also delaying the launch of its next-generation electric truck, originally supposed to begin production in 2025. Ford now says deliveries of the EV truck will kick off in 2026 and slowly ramp up "to help assure quality." Production will be handled at the Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center on the company's new BlueOval City campus in Stanton, Tennessee, which is currently in the process of being built. It's unclear if this vehicle will be a direct successor to the F-150 Lightning or fill a slightly different niche.
Ford has now confirmed that a "skunkworks" team led by former Tesla engineer Alan Clarke is creating a "smaller, low-cost, profitable, flexible EV platform." While Ford didn't specify what types of vehicles this will support, the company did say it is being designed for "multiple vehicles at high volumes." An earlier report centered around a new affordable electric crossover that may also spawn a compact pickup truck.
A new electric commercial vehicle—which should outperform the current E-Transit that is adapted from the gas-powered van—is also due by the middle of this decade, Ford says. The EV will be built at the Ohio Assembly Plant in Avon Lake, Ohio, which is currently being erected with plans to begin installing tools in the facility in spring 2025.
Ford says it will add more hybrid options to its lineup too. No specific models are mentioned, but Ford says that by 2030 the automaker expects for the entire Ford lineup to offer hybrid powertrains. Currently, Ford only sells hybrid versions of the Maverick, F-150, and Escape.
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