After luxury brand Lincoln announced that it would pivot to hybrids while they remain in higher demand than EVs, we're unsurprised to see that Ford has just made a similar announcement. The Blue Oval says it will delay the launch of both its next-generation electric pickup and its three-row electric SUV, taking the time instead to add hybrid powertrains to the entirety of its lineup.

Ford's new electric pickup, which was intended to succeed the current F-150 Lightning, has been pushed back one year from 2025 to 2026. The brand's upcoming electric three-row is being postponed even further, and isn't supposed to arrive until 2027. Its original release date was set for 2025.

Aside from developing more hybrids, another reason for Ford delaying some of its future EVs is to ensure that they arrive at the right time. The automaker would like to focus on profitability, according to CEO Jim Farley, with hope that there will be a better market for fully electric vehicles in a couple years' time.

"As the No. 2 EV brand in the U.S. for the past two years, we are committed to scaling a profitable EV business, using capital wisely and bringing to market the right gas, hybrid and fully electric vehicles at the right time," Farley said. "Our breakthrough, next-generation EVs will be new from the ground up and fully software enabled, with ever-improving digital experiences and a multitude of potential services."

Even though we'll have to wait a couple more years before seeing some of Ford's next-generation EVs, the automaker is by no means slowing down development. Its new BlueOval City plant in Tennessee, which will serve as the production site for the successor to the F-150 Lightning pickup, is well underway with construction. The site is currently installing stamping equipment, and operations will be under the management of those who formerly worked for companies such as Tesla, Amazon, Toyota, and Meta.

Meanwhile, Ford's Oakville assembly plant in Ontario, Canada is also undergoing EV-related changes as planned. The factory was previously the home of the Ford Edge midsize crossover, before the brand opted to discontinue the model completely to make way for EVs. The aforementioned three-row electric crossover will be the first to leave the retooled Oakville plant, and its two-year delay will allow for time to focus on vehicle quality while the growing segment matures.

Ford noted that the pause in production at the Oakville plant will affect workers, though it promises that they will be eligible for 70% of their pay while on layoff. Unifor, the union that represents the workforce at the factory, will remain in close coordination with Ford regarding the matter. Interestingly, workers were told that Ford considered extending Edge production but didn't go through with that decision.

A rendering of Ford's retooled Oakville plant.

Aside from a new electric pickip and three-row crossover, Ford is also working on a new battery-powered commercial vehicle that will be built in the company's newly-expanded Ohio plant. Development is also ongoing for a "smaller, low-cost, profitable, flexible EV platform" that will serve as a foundation for multiple affordable new EVs.

To sum things up, while Ford will be taking more time to focus on hybridizing its current internal-combustion lineup, it still has a comprehensive plan for what lies further ahead. However, if the market's current indifference with EVs doesn't change before 2026 or 2027, Ford's strategy could be thrown off course once again.