Suvrat Kothari
Ford has delayed the plans to build its next-generation EVs. Production of the electric pickup codenamed “Project T3” has been postponed from 2025 to 2026. The three-row electric 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 said additional time was required to let the EV market mature. In the meantime, Ford said it would benefit from the ongoing advancements in battery technology. Get Fully Charged 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 electric pickup truck, meanwhile, will be made at the BlueOval City plant in West Tennessee. Top Videos: The family 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. Production of the gas-powered Edge SUVs will end next month at the Ontario plant and it will undergo retooling to make the family SUV. However, the delay would extend the layoffs of some 2,700 workers. “We value our Canadian workforce and appreciate that this delay will have an impact on the team. The company will work with Unifor [the labor union] to mitigate the impact the launch delay will have on its workforce at Oakville,” Ford said in the announcement.
https://insideevs.com/news/714959/ford-delays-electric-three-row-suv-by-two-years/