Ford delays new EV plant and cancels electric three-row SUV as it shifts strategy
Ford Motor is delaying production of a next-generation all-electric pickup truck at a new plant in Tennessee and canceling plans for a three-row electric SUV, the company said Wednesday.
DETROIT — Ford Motor is delaying production of a next-generation all-electric pickup truck at a new plant in Tennessee and canceling plans for a three-row electric SUV, the company said Wednesday.
Instead, Ford said it will prioritize the development of hybrid models, as well as electric commercial vehicles such as a new electric commercial van in 2026, followed by two EV pickup trucks in 2027.
The pickups are expected to be a full-size truck, which will be produced at the Tennessee plant that’s currently under construction in 2027, and a new midsize truck being developed by a specialized “skunkworks” team in California.
“As we’ve learned in the marketplace, and we’ve seen where people have gravitated, we’re going to focus in where we have competitive advantage, and that’s on commercial land trucks and SUVs,” Ford CFO John Lawler said Wednesday.
The actions are meant to better deliver a capital-efficient, profitable electric vehicle business, said Lawler, who also serves as vice chair of the automaker. But, in the short-term, they will cost the company.
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