Ford won’t make this type of vehicle anymore: Blue Oval ditches big EVs as it prioritises hybrid technology for Ford F-150 and Transit successors
_0.jpg "Ford won’t make this type of vehicle anymore: Blue Oval ditches big EVs as it prioritises hybrid technology for Ford F-150 and Transit successors")
Ford has rejigged its electric vehicle (EV) strategy as it moves to prioritise hybrid technology for its larger models.
A major highlight is the next-generation F-150 Lightning electric pickup will move away from being purely an EV and will instead use a range-extender (REEV) hybrid powertrain. This has a petrol engine that acts purely as a generator to top up the battery pack.
The Blue Oval has also renamed its Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center, which is a part of the company’s BlueOval City campus and was set to produce the next-generation electric pick-up, to the Tennessee Truck Plant.
It will instead produce “new affordable gas-powered trucks” in 2029.
Ford isn’t moving away from EVs entirely, but will instead use focus on “smaller, affordable models”. It has a family of vehicles coming on the forthcoming Universal EV Platform, including a mid-size electric ute due to launch around 2027.
Another big change is that the successor to the current E-Transit electric van will no longer happen.
Instead the Blue Oval says a new, affordable commercial van will launch with petrol and hybrid powertrains. Production of this is set to commence in 2029 at the Ohio Assembly Plant.
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Beyond these highlights, Ford plans to add more hybrid powertrains to virtually every vehicle in its line-up, especially its larger models.
The reason for all of these changes is due to “lower-than-expected demand, high costs and regulatory changes”.
It currently predicts that this strategy will see its ‘Model e’ arm, which handles all its electrified vehicles, become profitable by 2029. In the past it has suffered from extreme losses.
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In Australia the largest Ford EV currently offered is the E-Transit electric van. There’s also the E-Transit Custom mid-size electric van and Mustang Mach-E electric crossover SUV.
The full-size F-150 Lightning has never officially been offered by Ford Australia and it’s now unclear whether it ever will be, at least in its current EV form.
In terms of hybrids, Ford Australia previously had the Escape PHEV, but now it has the Ranger PHEV and Transit Custom PHEV.
As recently reported, it’s understood the current Chinese-market Bronco New Energy, which offers a range-extender hybrid powertrain, will be coming to Australia.
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