Ford announced that it will no longer make a three-row electric SUV as planned, but will go hybrid with those models instead; the so-called “skunkwork” electric truck is confirmed to be a midsize truck, not a compact one as many assumed; will not launch any EVs unless they can be profitable in the first 12 months; and continue to provide gas and diesel vehicles, among other things.
The changes in plans could equate to an anticipated $1.9 billion in additional costs, Ford officials said.
“It’s coming back to understanding the customer, understanding how this is going to transition over time,” Ford CFO John Lawler said on a media briefing this morning. “It’s about providing them those choices that meet their duty cycles and their needs, and that is giving them the options between full battery electric vehicles, hybrid technologies.”
Ford officials didn’t elaborate when asked by Inside EVs where their EV sales or profits were projected to be versus where they are now, but said its overall strategy to use electrification to reduce CO2 emissions has not changed.
“We are launching multiple electric vehicles in Europe this year,” Ford said in a statement. “We are adjusting the company’s North America vehicle roadmap to offer a range of electrification options designed to speed customer adoption, including lower prices and longer ranges.”
Change In EV Plans
Among the major changes in strategy: Ford is pushing back its midsize T3 electric truck, considered a more cutting-edge successor to the F-150 Lightning, to the second half of 2027. The truck will be assembled at BlueOval City’s Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center, Ford officials said. Originally, it was supposed to start production this year.
“It will launch with the launch of the full-size pickup,” Lawler said. “So, there is a delay there of about 18 months versus what we were planning earlier. We’ll continue to build out construction, and we’ll continue to get that plant ready for production and move forward.”
Lawler added that there are no plans to cancel any current offerings, such as the Lightning and Mach-E.
At the same time, Ford plans to introduce an all-new, fully electric commercial van that will begin production in 2026 in Ohio. That follows a plan for Ford to focus electrification, and offerings, in areas where it has “competitive advantages”: commercial vans, mid-size and large pickup trucks, and “long-range” SUVs.
Ford officials reaffirmed that the so-called “skunkworks” plan—meant to develop a low-cost EV platform with a team out of California that’s designed to take on Tesla and China—will continue. This platform is expected to produce several vehicles, including a crossover and commercial vehicles.
But this is the first time Ford has confirmed that the truck coming out of it will be a midsize one, not a compact one. It is “expected to cater to customers who want more for their money—more range, more utility, more useability,” Ford said in a news release.
Lawler declined to elaborate on whether this truck would be sized more like the smaller Maverick or the Ranger, one size up.
