On 11/8, Ford announced plans to produce a new mid-size electric pickup truck, slated for a 2027 release with a target price of around 30,000 USD. While this is welcome news for buyers seeking an affordable electric truck, it spells the end of the road for the Ford Escape and Lincoln Corsair.
Ford's new electric truck is part of a 5 billion USD investment, which includes retooling its Louisville, Kentucky plant where the Escape and Corsair are currently manufactured. The Louisville plant will house Ford's new Universal EV Production System, designed to simplify assembly of vehicles built on the new electric vehicle architecture.
"Production of the Escape and Corsair will cease by the end of this year as we begin retooling the plant," a Ford representative confirmed.
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2025 Ford Escape in the US, with a suggested retail price of 31,010-39,005 USD. Photo: Ford |
2025 Ford Escape in the US, with a suggested retail price of 31,010-39,005 USD. Photo: Ford
Customers still have time to purchase an Escape or Corsair. "We have sufficient inventory to sell the Escape and Corsair into 2026," the representative stated, assuring continued availability in the near future.
This marks a significant shift, as the Escape was Ford's second best-selling SUV in 2024 (trailing only the Explorer), and the Corsair is Lincoln's entry-level luxury model.
The discontinuation of the Escape will also mark the end of Ford's only plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). However, the Bronco Sport is built on the same platform, making it a potential PHEV replacement. Another possibility is that Ford could restart Escape and Corsair production at different facilities before inventory runs out. The Escape was previously manufactured in Ohio and Missouri before its move to Kentucky.
Ford recently filed a trademark application for "Ranchero," but the name of the new mid-size electric truck remains unconfirmed. The truck is expected to debut in 2027 with prismatic lithium-ion phosphate batteries. Ford claims this new battery type will save space, weight, and cost, and contains neither cobalt nor nickel.
A new architecture with approximately 1,200 m less wiring is expected to reduce components by 20%, fasteners by 25%, and workstations by 40% compared to a comparable traditional vehicle. Ford hopes these changes will allow 40% faster production compared to vehicles currently manufactured at the Louisville plant.
If this 4-door truck delivers on its promised 0-97 km/h acceleration in 4 seconds, passenger space exceeding the Toyota RAV4, and a starting price around 30,000 USD, Ford will need to ramp up production quickly to meet demand.
My Anh (Autoblog)
