Detroit automaker Ford will delay launches of some of its next-generation EVs, a key plank in the company's strategy to rejuvenate its struggling EV business. The move may be further evidence that the firm is concentrating resources more on its so-called 'skunkworks' project to develop cheaper, smaller EVs than its more conventional portfolio strategy.
A new three-row SUV will be pushed back from 2026 to 2027, while Ford's upcoming electric pickup — which CEO Jim Farley last year called "one of the most thrilling vehicles I have ever seen in my career" — will be delayed until 2026.
Ford "is retiming the launch of upcoming electric vehicles at its Oakville, Ontario, assembly plant while continuing to build out an advanced industrial system to produce its next-generation electric vehicles", the firm says.
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The last year has seen a succession of backtracks on EV targets for Ford, including last year shelving $12bn in planned EV spending.
Along with the pushbacks in BEV releases, Ford says it will expand its hybrid offerings. "By the end of the decade, the company expects to offer hybrid powertrains across its entire Ford Blue line-up in North America," the company says.
Production capacity
The three-row SUV is set to be manufactured at the company's Oakville facility, which will begin a "comprehensive overhaul" to install Ford's next-generation EV production line in Q2 this year.
The Oakville plant was always slated to begin these works in Q2, perhaps suggesting that the pushback in production of the planned SUV comes as a result of Ford anticipating a longer-than-expected process to get it production-ready.
Ford also announced that its Blue Oval City facility in Tennessee, which will produce the next-generation e-truck, has also begun an equipment retool ahead of the EV's ramp-up.
"In addition to paint shop and vehicle assembly equipment, installation is also underway for nearly 4,000 tons of stamping equipment that will produce the sheet metal stampings for Ford’s next all-new electric truck," the automaker says.
The two vehicle ranges subject to the new delays are part of what has been called Ford's 'second generation' of EVs. More recently, however, the automaker has revealed details of a third generation smaller EV as another component of its future EV strategy.
The smaller EV platform, which CFO John Lawler last week suggested be considered the firm's 'Gen-2A' rather than 'Gen-3', has been developed in secret by a skunkworks team in California for around two years, and will be designed to support "multiple vehicles at high volumes", Ford says.
"Alan Clarke leads the growing team, which includes personnel from Auto Motive Power following Ford’s acquisition of the EV energy management start-up in late 2023," Ford says in relation to the skunkworks EV.
Ciaran has written about finance, politics and culture. He is passionate about e-mobility and what it means for our way of life.
Ciaran has a Masters in Ancient Philosophy from Oxford University.
