Ford again postponed the release of new electric pickup truck and van
Kyiv • UNN
Ford has for the second time postponed the release of the Project T3 electric pickup truck and the next-generation electric van until 2028. This decision will allow the company to focus on developing more affordable electric vehicles, including a mid-size pickup truck in 2027.
The release of Ford's next-generation electric pickup and van has been delayed again. The company is postponing these two projects to focus on more affordable offerings, writes UNN with reference to InsideEVs.
Details
Ford has once again delayed the release of two of its next-generation electric vehicles, according to an Automotive News report, which was later confirmed by the American automaker.
The upcoming all-new full-size electric pickup, known internally as "Project T3," which could replace the current-generation F-150 Lightning, has been pushed back to 2028. This is the second time the large EV has been delayed – it was originally scheduled to hit the roads this year, but the company decided to postpone it until 2027. Now its launch date has been moved again.
Moreover, the release of the next-generation electric van, which could replace the current E-Transit, has been delayed from 2026 to 2028, with production planned at the Avon Lake plant in Ohio, USA. The battery-powered van was first announced in 2022, with its debut scheduled for "mid-decade."
Ford confirmed the delays yesterday, adding that it informed its suppliers and employees in June.
Nevertheless, "it's not all bad," the publication writes, as the American auto giant wants to focus more on smaller, more affordable electric models. Last year, the company announced that it was working on a secret "skunkworks" project (research) that was supposed to bring inexpensive electric vehicles to market faster.
The first model in the new wave of cheaper electric Fords is expected to be a mid-size pickup truck in 2027, which may be named Ranchero, as a recent trademark application suggests. The name was used on several two-door car-like pickup trucks from the 1950s to the late 1970s. "Imagine a Ranger, but with a battery, at least one electric motor, and a lower body," the publication notes.
Ford has high hopes for its new line of affordable electric vehicles. Last month, company CEO Jim Farley said that August 11 would be a "Model T moment" for the brand, referring to the pioneering car of the early 1900s that revolutionized mass production.
"August 11 will be a big day for all of us at Ford," CEO Jim Farley said during the automaker's second-quarter earnings call. "We will be in Kentucky to talk more about our plans to develop and build a breakthrough electric vehicle and platform in the U.S."