Ford has delayed the plans to build its next-generation three-row electric SUV by two years. The upcoming family SUV, which Ford CEO Jim Farley once described as a “personalized bullet train,” is now slated to arrive by 2027, instead of 2025.
The Dearborn automaker cited that additional time was required to let the consumer market mature and in the meantime, benefit from the ongoing advancements in battery technology.
More Delays At Ford
Ford’s EVs are flying off the shelves, especially the Mustang Mach-E. But the brand is cautious about its next-generation line-up. As the EPA regulations now allow a more gradual transition to EVs, automakers are using this additional timeframe to let the market evolve.
Doug Field, Ford’s chief officer of EV and digital systems indicated last year that the family SUV would arrive by 2025 with 350 miles of range. It would be an Explorer-sized EV made in Oakville, Ontario, Canada.
The SUV is not to be mixed with the Explorer that’s currently on sale in Europe—that one is based on Volkswagen’s modular electric drive toolkit, commonly known as the MEB platform. Ford’s family SUV for North America will be based on a bespoke BEV native platform.
Similar to Toyota, Ford stated that it would continue to focus on its existing line-up of gas, hybrid, PHEV and BEV line-up, contingent on demand. There’s also a range of affordable EVs on the way under what Ford calls a “skunkworks” project.
“We are committed to scaling a profitable EV business, using capital wisely and bringing to market the right gas, hybrid and fully electric vehicles at the right time,” Farley said. “Our breakthrough, next-generation EVs will be new from the ground up and fully software enabled, with ever-improving digital experiences and a multitude of potential services,” he added.
Currently, there are several three-row electric SUVs on sale in the U.S. Some options include the Tesla Model Y and X, the newly launched Kia EV9, the Rivian R1S and the Mercedes EQB and EQS SUVs.
Many more are in the pipeline, including the production version of Toyota’s “bZ large SUV” concept that will be manufactured in Kentucky, the Volvo EX90, Hyundai Ioniq 7 and Lucid Gravity among others.