Ford is delaying the next generation of its three-row electric SUV and truck

Ford has postponed the launch of its three-row electric SUV until 2027, the company announced in an update. It will also begin work on its next electric truck in 2026 and will offer hybrid options for every model it produces.

The unnamed SUV was supposed to go into production starting in 2025 at Ford's plant in Oakville, Ontario, which is currently in the midst of switching from producing gas vehicles to electric ones. Ford gave several reasons for the delay, including a desire to wait until the three-row SUV market matures before introducing its own entrant.

“The additional time will allow the consumer market for three-row electric vehicles to continue development and enable Ford to capitalize on emerging battery technology, with the goal of providing customers with greater durability and better value,” the company said.

While there are more than 100 electric models available for sale in the United States, few are three-row SUVs, despite their popularity among families. The Tesla Model

Ford also said it will postpone work on its next-generation electric truck until 2026 at the BlueOval City Campus, which is still under construction in Tennessee. The truck was originally supposed to go into production starting in 2025.

The focus will be on BlueOval's city campus, including the installation of a paint shop and “nearly 4,000 tons of stamping equipment that will produce sheet metal stamps for Ford's upcoming all-new electric truck.” Ford is also expanding its assembly plant in Avon Lake, Ohio, where it will produce the next generation of electric commercial vehicles by the middle of the decade.

The electric truck and SUV were intended to represent Ford's second generation of electric vehicles, following the first-generation Mustang Mach-E, F-150 Lightning and E-Transit van. Ford CEO Jim Farley said second-generation electric vehicles will be profitable in the first 12 months.

But while next-generation vehicles may be late, the next generation of themthe nextThe electric car generation is still underway. Ford said design work on its new range of affordable electric cars is “ongoing” at the company's skunkworks lab under the supervision of former Tesla designer Alan Clarke. The California-based team is “developing a smaller, lower-cost, profitable and flexible EV platform capable of supporting multiple vehicles in high volume,” Ford said.

Ford, like other global automakers, is seeking to improve its profitable EV formula. The company's Model e unit, which oversees electric vehicles and software products, reported a loss of $1.6 billion in the fourth quarter of 2023. Ford said it would slow the pace of money it was spending on electric vehicles in order to better meet customer demand.

Ford announced first-quarter sales numbers yesterday, in which hybrid vehicles, in particular, played a major role. The automaker sold 38,421 hybrid vehicles in the first three months of 2024, representing a 42 percent increase over the first quarter of 2023. Gas-guzzling SUVs (Escape, Explorer, Expedition, and Bronco) also had a quarter Historically, what the company has achieved is called “the best ever”. Electric vehicle sales rose by 86 percent year-on-year.