Ford Kills Electric ‘Bullet Train’ SUV, Focuses On New Hybrids And EV Pickups
Ford has announced a new electrification strategy that includes canceling a planned electric three-row SUV in favor of hybrid models.
The previously announced vehicle was meant to be an ultra-efficient utility vehicle with a streamlined body that Ford CEO Jim Farley had referred to as a “personal bullet train.”
Just last month Ford announced the electric model’s launch was being delayed from 2026 to 2027, but it is now entirely off the table.
Ford’s next-generation full-size electric pickup, which is codenamed T3, has also been delayed until late 2027. It was originally scheduled to launch in 2025 and had already been pushed to 2026.
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Also going on sale that year will be a midsize electric pickup that’s being designed by a “skunkworks” team dedicated to developing low cost electric vehicles. It will be the first model launched on the platform, but no details have yet ben revealed.
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Before either of the trucks hit the road, Ford will be debuting a second-generation electric commercial van that will be built in Ohio starting in 2026. Ford currently sells the E-Transit, of which 6,301 were delivered in the first half of this year.
“We learned a lot as the No. 2 U.S. electric vehicle brand about what customers want and value, and what it takes to match the best in the world with cost-efficient design, and we have built a plan that gives our customers maximum choice and plays to our strengths,” Farley said.
Ford has signaled a broader shift of its focus towards hybrids in recent months that goes beyond the new SUVs and includes increased production of the Maverick hybrid pickup along with plans for a hybrid version of the next generation F-Series Super Duty that will enter production in 2026.
