Ford Motor Co. is delaying the launch of its next-generation electric commercial van and electric full-size pickup truck to 2028, the automaker confirmed Thursday.
They are the latest postponements in a wave of EV product cancellations and delays as the automotive industry realizes demand for expensive EVs with high-cost, large batteries needed to address range anxiety — and the charging network to support them — just isn’t there in the eyes of many U.S. consumers. That trend likely is set to accelerate with the Trump administration’s work to dismantle regulations around greenhouse gas emissions and incentives for EV transactions in what he has characterized as an effective “EV mandate.”
Ford nearly a year ago had said it would launch the commercial van in 2026 at its Ohio Assembly Plant in Avon Lake outside Cleveland. At the time, it also had delayed the start of production by 18 months of the full-size pickup truck to the second half of 2027 at the new BlueOval City assembly plant in Stanton, Tennessee, outside Memphis. Pickup prototype production still is set to launch in 2027, Ford spokesperson Jessica Enoch said.
The company communicated about the timing adjustments to suppliers and employees in June, spokesperson Emma Bergg said in a statement.
“F-150 Lightning, America’s best-selling electric truck, and E-Transit continue to meet today’s customer needs,” Bergg said in a statement. “We remain focused on delivering our Ford+ plan and will be nimble in adjusting our product launch timing to meet market needs and customer demand while targeting improved profitability.”