Ford’s struggles with the EV side of its automobile business — which the company calls Model e — is no secret. Even though it still has big EV plans, the company has lost billions amid slowing EV demand, with models like the Mustang Mach-E getting its prices slashed as dealer stock piles up. Now it would seem those troubles have come for planned EV models that are badly needed.
A new report from Autoweek that details the shuffling of various automakers and their EV plans amid a changing marketplace mentions Ford’s changing plans. Sources close to Ford’s EV plans told Autoweek that the brand had plans to introduce EV versions of both the Bronco and Maverick. However due to recent losses in the Model e division, both models have been placed on hold until the 2030s. From Autoweek:
Ford’s key EV models for North America are very expensive to build, as the Lightning’s design starts with the ICE F-150 platform, and the Mach-e rides on a dedicated, single-model platform. Ford lost $4.7 billion on its all-electric Model e business unit in 2023, cutting into its overall positive earnings before income tax of $10.4 billion.
According to one of our sources, Ford has placed EV versions of the Maverick and Bronco on-hold, until at least the early ‘30s.
This would mean that EV versions of both of these probably won’t appear until the next generation of both. Ford might be planning something as a stopgap however. Sources told Ford Authority that Ford has been benchmarking the Jeep Wrangle 4xe, which could point to them working on a Bronco hybrid or PHEV. But with how things are, who knows when we could see something like that.
Other EV projects either put on hold or canceled according to Autoweeks sources include GM’s plans to replace the prehistoric Chevy Express/GMC Savana vans with EVs based on Brightdrop’s delivery vans and a compact EV pickup that was described as “Ford Maverick sized.” Sources also say Nissan has canceled a planned EV pickup that would have sat below the Frontier.