Ford jumped in early on EVs. The brand retrofitted existing platforms to build the Mustang Mach-E crossover and Ford F-150 Lightning pickup. But momentum has petered out since. Ford has scaled back its EV plans, canceling a three-row electric SUV and delaying the launch of its next-gen electric pickup until 2027. The brand announced a shift to a more affordable, stripped-down EV platform and discussed exploring EREVs and offering hybrids. We haven’t had a new consumer-focused EV that has emerged since the F-150 Lightning launched. But it looks like that’s about to change.
Ford hasn’t confirmed anything yet. But a report says its Louisville Assembly Plant will be retooled for a new EV coming later this year.
Key Takeaways
- It has been a while since Ford launched a new EV
- Ford’s UAW agreement called for a new EV in Louisville
- The plant’s UAW head said retooling will launch later this year
- It could be Ford’s new affordable electric midsize pickup
- It could also be Lincoln’s first EV
Ford Is Reportedly Clearing The Way For A New EV
Ford’s 2023 UAW agreement called for a new $1.2 billion investment at the Louisville Assembly Plant. Those plans call for the plant to complete production runs for the Ford Escape and the customer favorite Lincoln Corsair and then build a new EV. That plan appears to be coming into motion. The plant’s UAW head told the Courier Journal he expects the retooling of the plant to begin in December and take 10 months. That would mean the Escape and Corsair bowing out after the 2026 model year and a new EV arriving in 2027.
But We Don’t Know Which EV Ford Will Build There
We know what it won’t be. Ford is building its next-generation Project T3 electric pickup at the new Blue Oval Plant in Tennessee. Ford will make a new electric van in Ohio. Ford scrapped plans for a three-row electric SUV to be built at its Oakville plant in Ontario. The one vehicle we do know is coming that hasn’t had plant space announced is a new electric midsize pickup. It’s under development by a “skunkworks team in California.” It’s the first vehicle to arrive on a new affordable EV platform that should underpin a crossover and a ride-sharing vehicle. The reported plant retooling timeline would line up with a planned launch for that truck in 2027.
Another option could be Lincoln’s long-awaited EV. Ford announced and then canceled a Rivian-based Lincoln EV early this decade. Lincoln previewed its EV ambitions with the Star concept but has not followed through with a production vehicle. It is weird for Lincoln to have no offering in the space when rival Cadillac expects up to 35 percent of its sales mix to be EVs. The Corsair leaving the lineup could leave Lincoln with more than half of its sales coming from the Chinese-built Nautilus, now facing a hefty tariff.
TopSpeed’s Take
We should find out more about what vehicle Ford plans to build in Louisville soon. Ford promised an update on its electrification plans in the first half of 2025. It’s also possible that those plans could be in flux as Ford tries to figure out how to optimize its American plant capacity under the new tariffs.
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