Electric vehicles are rapidly becoming a big part of the automotive landscape. Despite EV sales growth cooling off a little bit in recent months, a record 1.2 million EVs were sold in the U.S. in 2023, representing a record 7.6% of total vehicle sales.
Plenty of new EV models have been introduced in the past year or are set to arrive soon from Chevrolet, BMW, Audi, Hyundai, and other leading manufacturers. One automaker absent from that list, though, is Ford. Despite holding its position as the country’s #2 EV brand, the Blue Oval has not debuted any new models since the Mach-E compact crossover SUV in 2021 and the F-150 Lightning pickup in 2022. When you visit a Ford dealer, these vehicles and the E-Transit van remain the only all-electric options.
As such, questions have arisen regarding Ford’s future EV releases—especially with the news in late 2023 that Ford was postponing $12 billion worth of manufacturing investments due to substantial financial losses by its Ford Model e EV unit. However, after a Q1 2024 EV sales increase of 86% year-over-year, Ford released an extensive update that shed a little light on its EV plans. Based on this, we can paint at least a rough picture of what new Ford EVs are in the pipeline and when they might arrive.
The Three-Row SUV: The Wait Is On
One of the most anticipated Ford electric vehicles is its first three-row electric SUV. Though no official nameplate has been announced for this vehicle, it’s widely anticipated to be an all-electric Explorer that brings this legendary full-size SUV into the future.
Unfortunately, we may not know for a while. In the recent update, Ford confirmed previous rumors by stating it has moved the target launch year of the three-row EV from 2025 to 2027. According to Ford, this two-year delay accomplishes three things. It lets the company develop the needed manufacturing capacity, lets consumer interest build to where such a vehicle is financially viable, and allows battery technology to advance so Ford can deliver a longer-lasting vehicle with more bang for the buck. There may be another reason as well, which we’ll discuss in a moment.
Regardless, the news is crushing for anyone who was looking forward to piloting a battery-powered full-size SUV over the hills and through the woods. In the meantime, the next best thing for Ford buyers may be the Escape plug-in hybrid—in America, anyway.
The Affordable Compact Crossover: Europe Now, the US Soon?
Though the United States has not received a new Ford EV model in the past two years, the European market has—and it uses the Explorer nameplate. In early 2024, Ford began production of the Explorer EV compact crossover through a partnership with the Volkswagen Group. Built on the latter’s MEB platform, the vehicle was delayed six months after EU certification requirements necessitated a new battery and corresponding redevelopment.
The Explorer EV is not expected to be released in the United States, so why do we mention it? Part of the reason Ford delayed the three-row SUV is that the brand wants to focus more on getting a similar compact crossover to North American buyers. A team in Irvine, California, which includes former Tesla engineer and Auto Motive Power founder Anil Paryani, is developing a new platform that can produce a crossover EV with a price tag of less than $25,000. Purportedly, this is a direct response to Chinese EV makers and how they have been able to undercut other automakers on price. The current target for this as-yet-unnamed crossover SUV is late 2026.
As such, the Explorer EV can be seen as a test run. With a maximum range of 375 miles on the WLTP cycle and a starting MSRP of £45,000 (roughly $57,000), it’s a good start. We’ll be interested to see what a vehicle that Ford wants to cost half as much can offer after two more years of technological advancements.
The New All-Electric Truck: It’s Coming…Eventually
The 2022 debut of the Ford F-150 Lightning was a landmark as the first all-electric truck with a Blue Oval emblem. Ford isn’t done in this department, either. The same platform being developed for the new compact crossover will also be the underpinnings of another EV truck. Ford later confirmed it is working on a new all-electric truck with 2026 as the planned release date. It also said this truck—which will be made at the new BlueOval City campus in Tennessee—will have limited production to start and gradually increase.
Unfortunately, we don’t know anything beyond this about what the new truck will entail. There is some speculation this could be an electric version of the Ford Maverick compact pickup, but nothing is confirmed. Rumors have also started that the platform could lead to a ride-hailing EV such as the Cruise self-driving vehicles GM has been working on. Again, though, it’s just a rumor at this point. We’ll have to wait and see what the development team comes up with.
Hybrid Offerings to Tide Us Over
As Ford continues to build up its EV architecture and infrastructure, the brand plans to greatly expand its hybrid offerings. As of this writing, the only Ford hybrids available in the United States are the Escape SUV, the F-150 pickup, and the Maverick compact pickup. Furthermore, it’s widely believed the 2025 Ford Escape could be the compact crossover’s swan song.
However, Ford’s recent announcement included the tidbit that it plans to offer hybrid versions of all its American vehicles by 2030. This means it’s only a matter of time before we see the Bronco, Explorer, Ranger, and other models in PHEV form—and perhaps even the venerable Mustang. Details are in short supply, but it still represents significant progress in the transition to electrification. With Ford’s year-over-year hybrid sales up 42% in Q1 2024, there’s an appetite for these machines as well as EVs.
Getting Ready for More Ford EVs
Change is slow in the automotive world, and the shift to EVs has been no exception. Due to many factors, from high prices to low charging availability in certain areas, the path to an all-EV future has been especially plodding. Even with the increased 2023 sales numbers, Ford EVs represented only 3.8% of the brand’s total US sales, showing there’s a long road ahead. By comparison, among non-EV-only manufacturers, BMW was the highest at 12.5%.
Ford, though, is in it for the long haul. In addition to the BlueOval City manufacturing plant, it is also expanding the Ohio Assembly Plant, building multiple BlueOval battery plants, and making upgrades to its Oakville, Ontario, location. All this is being done to make high-quality EVs and get them to customers quickly—without having to pay large import tariffs.
There are undoubtedly people getting impatient as they wait for the next Ford EV model. But perhaps this break in the action could be what’s needed, letting Ford take the time to make sure its new EVs represent the best of the best. We will be monitoring the news about Ford EVs to let you know what updates there are and the impact they will have on the car market.
