Ford future product: More EVs, trim gas-powered lineup

The Ford brand's product portfolio over the next five years reflects CEO Jim Farley's goal of becoming an electric vehicle leader while continuing to invest in high-margin, gasoline-powered products.

After early success with the electric Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning, Ford plans to significantly ramp production to meet higher-than-anticipated demand. By mid-decade, it plans to transition those products to a dedicated battery-electric platform while expanding its offerings with an Explorer EV as well as "another truck" that's not the Lightning.

On the internal combustion side, Ford plans to prune its lineup by cutting nameplates such as the Edge and Escape but will continue investing in sub-brands such as Bronco, Mustang and F-Series.

E-Transit: Ford has sold more than 3,500 E-Transits so far in 2022, which executives say represents about 95 percent of the electric van market. The automaker plans to launch the next-generation E-Transit, built on a dedicated battery platform, in 2026 at its Ohio Assembly Plant. Ford has promised to add a "new commercial vehicle" at the plant around mid-decade but hasn't said what it will be. Ford executives have said the E-Transit is likely to get a new lithium iron phosphate cell chemistry, although it's unclear whether that would happen before or after the redesign.

F-150 Lightning: Ford has a list of roughly 200,000 reservations that it needs to work through, but the electric pickup already is accomplishing what the automaker wanted: bringing new EV buyers into the fold. About 70 percent are new to the company, Ford says, and many are new to the pickup segment. Ford just raised Lightning prices for the 2023 model because of supply shortages, but it's also bumping up the range and adding new features. The automaker is expected to introduce the new lithium iron phosphate battery cell chemistry, also coming to the Mach-E, on standard-range Lightnings starting in 2024. The automaker plans to ratchet up Lightning production in Dearborn, Mich., to as many as 150,000 a year by mid-2023.

Electric pickup: Ford has said its Blue Oval City assembly plant in Tennessee will build "next-generation electric F-Series pickups" on Ford's dedicated battery platform. Farley went a step further, saying the new plant will build "another truck" that is not a redesigned Lightning. The vehicle will go on sale in 2025.

While details are scarce, it could be a distinctly styled full-size pickup under the F-Series umbrella that would be marketed more toward retail buyers while the traditional Lightning made in Michigan would be focused on commercial sales.

Electric Explorer: After scrapping plans to build the Explorer and Aviator EVs alongside the Mustang Mach-E in Cuautitlan, Mexico, Ford now plans to make the vehicles in Oakville, Ontario, starting in late 2024. Sales likely will begin in early 2025. The site soon will be converted from building the gasoline-powered Edge and Lincoln Nautilus.

Ford has teased the EV to some dealers, who say early video renderings show a large touch screen similar to what's in the Mach-E and Lightning.

Mustang Mach-E: Both the Mach-E and the Mach-E GT performance variant have been early successes in Ford's EV push. Now Ford is doubling down on the nameplate at its Cuautitlan Assembly Plant in Mexico. The automaker late last year announced plans to increase production there (by moving another planned EV program) to about 200,000 annually next year.

It's also adding a new lithium iron phosphate cell chemistry to standard-range versions of the Mach-E in 2023. The vehicle will be redesigned on a new, dedicated battery platform in 2026.

Super Duty: After splitting the company into EV (Ford Model e) and gasoline (Ford Blue) divisions, executives want to prove there's still investment to be had in its internal combustion powertrains. To that end, Ford plans to begin selling redesigned Super Duty models early next year. Farley has said the company will unveil them this fall. And despite Ford's electrification push, it's unlikely to give its biggest trucks a battery anytime soon; Farley has specifically mentioned the Super Duty as a type of vehicle that doesn't make sense as an EV, at least for now.

F-150: The Lightning has been getting all the headlines, but the gasoline version is still the company's cash cow and is all but guaranteed to ensure F-Series remains the best-selling vehicle line in the U.S. this year, despite a 12 percent decline through July because of supply chain shortages.

Ford recently revealed a high-performance Raptor R variant packing 700 hp that will go on sale this year. It plans to freshen the F-150 in the second half of 2023, with a redesign on a new platform expected in 2026.

Ranger: Ford will begin selling a reengineered Ranger in the first half of 2023. The next-generation model is expected to include an extended wheelbase variant, according to spy photographs. Farley also has promised a Raptor variant that will also launch next year, something enthusiasts have been clamoring for. It's unclear how the U.S. version will differ from the overseas model, which already has been revealed with a 3.0-liter V-6 engine that gets 392 hp and 430 pound-feet of torque. Ford is expected to add a hybrid version in 2025.

Maverick: Executives are high on the automaker's newest nameplate, which Farley has said could become its next icon. Late last year, Farley told Automotive News the Maverick could become its own subbrand with a number of varieties, like Mustang and Bronco. To that end, Ford recently unveiled a Maverick Tremor off-road variant that will go on sale this year. The package, available on XLT and Lariat models, includes a 1-inch lift for improved ground clearance as well as specially designed front and rear suspensions to boost off-road capabilities.

The Maverick is due for a freshening in 2024.
Transit: Ford is planning to bring the off-road Transit Trail variant, launched in Europe in 2020, to the U.S. in the first half of next year. While the Euro-spec van features aggressive Raptor-like grille styling, recent spy photos show the U.S. version has a tamer grille with the standard Blue Oval logo and three orange marker lights. The standard Transit is due for a redesign in 2026.

Transit Connect: Ford plans to discontinue the Transit Connect in the U.S. by the end of next year. The automaker had planned to build a next-generation model in Hermosillo, Mexico, starting in 2023, but recently scrapped that program. The Transit Connect will live on as a Europe-only model.

Autonomous vehicle: Ford remains on track to begin its commercial autonomous vehicle services using Escape hybrids later this year. It's unclear when it would begin offering the dedicated AV it has long promised, although it's expected to be a type of van.

Expedition: Ford has learned from past mistakes and kept this generation's Expedition fresh with midcycle upgrades and new variants such as the Timberline. But with the recently redesigned Chevrolet Tahoe performing well and new competition from Jeep's Wagoneer, Ford plans to redesign its full-size family hauler in 2024 in a bid to keep pace.

Bronco: Ford continues to slowly work through the mile-long order list for what has become one of its most popular nameplates, even as it continues to be dogged by production problems. Following the troubled launch because of roof quality, the automaker now faces a federal investigation over claims of engine failures in its 2.7-liter EcoBoost engine that can cause the Bronco to lose power at highway speeds. Still, Ford has sold 65,463 Broncos in the U.S. this year through July and recently started selling Raptor and Everglades variants. It will begin production of Heritage Edition models this year. A hybrid version, meant to compete with the Jeep Wrangler 4xe, is planned for 2024.

Explorer: Ford's large crossover is due for a freshening next year. The automaker plans to debut an EV version this decade, but the gasoline Explorer will continue to be built at the Chicago Assembly Plant for the foreseeable future. The next generation is expected to debut in 2026.

Edge: The Edge is edging closer to the scrap heap. Ford plans to discontinue its midsize crossover at the end of its lifecycle next year, ahead of converting Oakville Assembly into an EV facility. The automaker does not have a direct replacement for the Edge — EV or otherwise — in its plans, although its relatively low volume can likely be made up with Ford's other two-row crossovers in the Escape and Bronco Sport.

Bronco Sport: The baby Bronco has carved out a nice niche for itself in the hot-selling compact crossover segment. Through July, U.S. sales are up 5.3 percent to 66,157 even as sales of its platform-sharing Escape sibling have fallen 6.5 percent over that same period. The vehicle's off-road prowess also has made it a palatable alternative for those who don't want to deal with the wait times (or sticker price) of the beefier Bronco. Ford recently introduced a Heritage modelwith unique retro styling that will go on sale this year. The automaker is expected to freshen the Bronco Sport in 2024 with a hybrid model.

Escape: Recent spy photos have lifted the veil on a freshening for the compact crossover that's expected in the first half of 2023. The interior will come with a new, larger touch screen, and the exterior will feature thinner, more angular headlights and a light bar that runs across the front of the grille.

The future of the gasoline model is in doubt beyond its current lifecycle, as Ford currently has no plans for it beyond 2026, although an Escape-size EV is expected to replace it. Farley, speaking earlier this year at an investor conference, hinted that the nameplate may not be sticking around long term. "We're going to have passion brands," he said of the company's gasoline-focused Ford Blue division. "We're not going to have commodity products like Edges and Escapes."

GT: The current-generation supercar already has bowed out of racing, and Ford will wrap up retail production this year. The automaker has continually put out Heritage Editions throughout the GT's lifecycle, including the recently unveiled Holman Moody edition with gold exterior paint.

Mustang: Ford will debut the seventh-generation pony car next month at the Detroit auto show, with sales beginning in the first half of next year. Farley has called the new S650 Mustang "stunning," but it's expected to largely mirror the current S550 platform, albeit with some exterior design changes. The car is expected to include carryover four-cylinder and V-8 engine options. A hybrid variant that had been planned a few years after the Mustang's launch has been scrapped.

Automotive News reported in 2020 that the S650 Mustang was expected to have an eight-year lifecycle, which likely would mean it will be the final gasoline-powered pony car before a switch to battery-electric at the turn of the decade.