Ford is in the midst of a major electrification push that will see it invest $50 billion in EVs with a goal of producing two million units annually by 2026. However, the automaker is being strategic about what it electrifies, a list that is focused on iconic models like the Ford F-150, Ford Mustang, and Ford Bronco, commercial vehicles, and vehicles touting a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of under 8,500 pounds. That may leave certain existing models on the outside looking in, however, a list that could potentially include the Ford Escape.
“The first step is you cannot ask everyone to do everything,” Ford CEO Jim Farley said while speaking at the Bernstein Strategic Decisions Conference. “You have to say: Blue team, be the cash cow. You heard it in the video. Our job is to fund the future. And we’re going to have passion brands; we’re not going to have commodity products like Edges and Escapes. Mustangs and Broncos…good stuff.”
As Ford Authority reported back in June 2020 and confirmed this past January, the next-generation Ford Edge and Lincoln Nautilus have already been canceled as the Oakville Assembly plant is set to be retooled to produce five new EVs starting in 2025. Now, as the automaker prepares to split itself into two distinct entities – Ford Model e for EVs and Ford Blue for ICE-powered vehicles – it seems as if the Ford Escape may be on the proverbial chopping block, too.
In the meantime, the Ford Escape is set to undergo a refresh for the 2023 model year, while a previous report suggested that the crossover will receive a more comprehensive redesign in 2025. Ford Authority spies have spotted a couple of different 2023 Escape prototypes driving around in recent months, highlighting a number of changes across multiple trim levels.
We’ll have more on the Escape soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more Ford Escape news and non-stop Ford news coverage.
Comments
Not surprised. However, the race to EV reveals a lack of sufficient charging stations in many areas including Michigan where one can not drive across the state due to malfunctioning and lack of ccs dcfc chargers. Do we realky have adequate supplies of raw materisls to produce the nber of battery packs all the auto companies are stating? Are these raw material supply chains secure? Are Jane and Joe Six Pavk going to be able to afford $50k+ EVs?
Joe and Jane couldn’t afford the first cell phones, or quartz-controlled wrist watches either. Economics of scale soon made the $2,000 Pulsar watch a $31.95 item at Gemco, Zody’s, or K-Mart. The conversion of cell service to digital opened up very high capacity to the point many private homes no longer have a landline.
Give the electrics some time; the prices will drop; charging station will be more common.
Just got back from a road trip from Wisconsin to Florida. I saw one charging station. One plug in cord at a Holiday Inn Express lol. I wanted to take my 17 Escape 1.5 l but I was afraid I would experience coolant leaking into the cylinders and be stranded like I’m reading so much on the internet. This nearly 40 year loyal Ford customer is about to say bye bye. Had a Ford service mgr till me to dump my Escape because of all the problems and wait times to get parts to get them fixed. Ridiculous. Luckily my old Edge got me to Florida and back. Unless Ford recalls the Escape 1.5 engine and fixes them at their cost, l am done. Oh, my cabin in northern Wisconsin is 200 miles away. I would need an EV to do at least 200 miles and preferably 400 miles because the electric rates are very high at the cabin.
Nobody and I mean nobody, ever claimed an EV was the right vehicle for every person in every condition. Please try using a little common sense. As for your 2017 Escape… you feared it might leak fluids. You never said yours had ever leaked a drop anywhere. Finally, service managers don’t usually know nearly as much as the techs that work for them. I had a 2017 Escape myself and never had a single issue with it, except it was often an inch or two too small or short to get something into it. I loved that car, but I just happen to love the 2019 Explorer a bit more, so I traded. To me, the Edge is the perfect choice to kill off, if something has to go. At least the Escape has a hybrid option.
The 2020 and on are just plain ugly. It is no wonder sales are down. They lost the SUV look they had 2013 thru 2019. They lowered the front end 3-1/2 inches which made it look like a Porsche. I have had a 2014, 2017 and now a 2019 Escape. I will keep the 2019.
2013 and 2019 weren’t “SUV” looks, you lasagna.
Wait…Porsche = “ugly”? No matter how subjective ugliness is, you just lost all credibility my friend.
I kinda like the Carlisle looks of the newer Escapes.
With the addition of the Bronco Sport. The Escape has become expendable. My daughter in law owns a 2021 Escape Titanium and she loves it. I previously owned a trouble free 2017 Escape Titanium but with my wife owning a 2017 Edge Sport. We decided we didn’t need two SUVs so I traded it for a sedan. From the renderings I’ve seen regarding the 2023 Escape refresh. It’s a solid overall improvement.
I have the 2017 Escape Titanium and I love it. We have been a Ford family and drive nothing else. I had a 2017 Ford Fusion and loved it. The difference between the two is I miss the hybrid cause the Escape is not eco friendly at all but I deal with it…
Meh, they can use the excess capacity to build more Bronco Sports and Mavericks which use what is essentially the same C2 platform as the Escape.
I love it. They either screw up a vehicle, or leave it to wither on the vine, instead of updating to compete with competition, and then they give it the axe because customers “just aren’t into that product.” It wasn’t that long ago that the Escape was a top seller. It was consistently in the top 3 for the segment. It was really when the old one got outdated and they brought out the mess that is a current one that sales nosedived. They leaned to heavily on making it for Europe that it lost its American flair.
They are in major trouble. I really think Ford is going belly up within the next decade. They cut sedans to focus on Suvs, and now they are cutting the Suvs that they were supposedly focusing on. It started with Flex, then Edge, Ecosport, and now Escape.
I have a solution. Ford, focus on the design of your products, the quality, and the ownership experience.
Amen!
I love it. Ford introduces several new products to great fanfare and are selling all they can build…but they’re in BIG TROUBLE because they discontinued the EcoSport.
Double Amen1
Ford make great off-road vehicles – F-series, Ranger, Bronco, etc
But when it comes to on-road SUV/CUV they massively struggle. They are way behind the competition, there is huge scope for growth for Ford in this segment.
Frankly, nobody is doing great in the CUV segment. Having owned the 2017 Escape Titanium, I’d have to say it was the best it its class… regardless of what Consumer Reports or Motor Trend might say about it.
I called my lover Ford dealer trying to get an Escape PHEV, and their orders are all filled and they can’t take more orders until the fall at least. Why would you cancel that Ford?
The Kuga PHEV in Europe is the top selling PHEV in Europe. The Escape PHEV, if they could make enough ( especially since Toyota is limiting the number of RAV4 Primes ) could be the top selling PHEV in North America, and would booster Escape sales. You need something to differentiate yourself from the multitude of CUVs in that segment, and Ford could by building more hybrid and PHEV Escapes, along with Hybrid Mavericks, and even a PHEV Maverick.
I have a 2021 Escape SE PHEV and it’s a great vehicle, but Ford seems to be making a conscious decision to make it rarer then hens teeth in the US for some reason – either to conserve EV credits in the US or direct PHEV sales to Europe to meet their statutory requirements.
Yeah if they could just make parts appear out of nowhere, that’s all. Why can’t they just do that? It’s so simple. Just snap your fingers and bam, 700k Hybrid transaxles instead of 17k.
That’s what happens when you outsource production. One would think the car manufacturers would have figured that out by now. Its seems there’s never just a weak link in the chain. The whole chain is crap.
I can’t believe Ford is even considering ending the Escape. My family has owned 4 Escapes through the years and all have been great. My daughter has a 2020 SEL AWD and loves it. My wife and I are looking at a 22 now. The sport utility vehicle that pushed us into SUV’s and Ford is thinking of ending its career. We looked at the Bronco Sport, liked the looks but when it comes to interior room through Sport falls short for us. Less rear leg room, less rear cargo space and not available no power hatch or heated steering wheel. I know the last two our minor. I feel if they cancel the Escape Ford will be making another big mistake like it did when it got rid if all its sedans.
In reality, this is another chapter of Ford’s 40 year history of using short term pivots instead of fixing fundamental quality reputation problems.
1. In the 80s, the company leaned on leasing to combat the better resale values of Japanese cars (driven by Japanese quality). Red Carpet Leasing was not a sustainable band-aid after competing brands with better residuals learned about leasing.
2. In the 90s, the company began its pivot to SUVs… a segment with little Japanese competition. But the competition came from everywhere… Japan, Europe, Korea. Explorer was a best seller, but its sales are now cropped up with Police Interceptors. Escape was a top seller, but it has lost internal Ford support (drunk with the latest pivot to “iconic brands” like Bronco).
3. Now in the 20s, Ford has pivoted to iconic brands. But Mustangs and Broncos cannot cover the retail market that Ford once covered. Honda, Toyota, Kia, and Hyundai are loving it.
Fundamentally, Ford is shrinking fast… affirming it is nothing more than an F-Series and light commercial vehicle company. But throughout all of this, 2nd class (or worse) quality remains… chasing more and more customers away.
I called the Ford customer service number and complained about how the current CEO is destroying the company and should be given his walking papers. Probably did no good but at least I let them know how I feel about it. I also told them I have owned nothing but Fords since 1966 and was very disappointed the way the company is being run
You did a great job blabbing about something you know nothing about to someone who is powerless to do anything about it. Now, go yell at some clouds.
I agree! Farley will bankrupt the company.
This would really be a mistake! So Ford is saying that they are unable to compete in the biggest segment in the market? Instead, they run off to the “specialty” segments of Broncos and Mustangs? OK, so give the big numbers over to Hyundai and let them win. Come-on Ford, work harder to improve the Escape, make it competitive with the RAV4 and CR-V.
I haven’t driven the current Escape, and though I think it is decently styled (not looking for Macho) I hear that it is the detailed refinement that hurts it.
What about the European version of Escape(Kuga) it’s one of the best sellers.
We don’t want your stupid electric cars Ford. People that live in rural areas need more than 200 miles to a charge. When I can charge my vehicle from empty to full in the same time i can fill my tank we can revisit.
Signed a True Mustang owner
Ford is the one American automaker committed to gas vehicles for at least the next couple decades. Your rant is sorely, sorely misplaced.
Unless you’re driving a ’65-’70 Mustang, you’re not a true Mustang owner.
….. Farley and Biden share the same sippy cup.
Is the bronco sport not just a gussied up escape?
I’m surprised they didn’t announce it as the replacement when it came out. Must’ve still had some escapes to sell first.
Shhh! Don’t tell these idiots that! They’re too busy taking a stand and cursing out customer service reps and talking about abandoned segments.
Its both more and less than a standard Escape. I’m not a fan of them.
Farley came here to LAP June the First the meeting went well good news for the Louisville Assembly Plant!
Ford had a dilemma with the previous generation of the Escape/MKC. The Escape Titanium could be outfitted to be nearly as luxurious as the Lincoln MKC. We tested both and decided to save about $7000 and get a fully loaded 2018 Escape Titanium. It was just as quiet, smooth, and luxurious as the Lincoln. But, that meant they sold less MKC, there was little to differentiate the models. So, with the new generation Escape/Corsair, Ford cheapened the Escape and went over-the-top with the Corsair. So, we decided to get a 2022 Lincoln Corsair Grand Touring fully loaded. It is so far removed from it’s “stablemate” Escape you’d be hard pressed to know they come off the same line. Good for Lincoln, bad for Ford.
Lincoln is the next badge that needs to die.
No. We love our Lincoln. It is so far above anything from the Ford lineup you’d never, ever think they come off the same line. I’ll always be loyal to Lincoln.
Hey CEO,
I bought a Ranger because it was a commodity product. Good value.
I won’t be shopping Ford for my next vehicle because you have NOTHING TO OFFER!
Nothing to offer? The truck line is Ford’s top offerings in years and now they have over 200 ,000 orders for the EV version of the Top Truck this century. Still offering a manual trans on a Mustang and oh yeah .. filled my Mach E to 311 miles range for $4.78 compared to $77 for an ICE vehicle my son drives. What are you looking for that Ford isn’t giving you DOC??????
Leave it to Ford to ditch the Escape just like the Fusion.
My 2015 escape has been in the shop for almost 2 months. It’s the coolant problem. And of course Ford is refusing to fix it. Their customer service is a joke. this car had a lifetime warranty for that and they’re refusing to honor it. This was my 1st and my last Ford.
I hate this idea of these damn electric cars!! And his idea to put out all these cars and shove them down our throats!! I have a Ford Escape and I like my car, so if they do away with them I guess I’ll be buying a GMC.
We love our 2020 Escape Hybrid for the terrific fuel economy but now that the service light indicating a drivetrain fault (4 times now), we are about to pursue a lemon law buy back. The kicker is the dealer can’t or won’t find the fault. It seams the electrification of vehicles has left dealers in the dust when it comes to qualified technicians to work on them.
Ford had terrible quality long before electric cars were ever heard of. How you can blame your problem on electric vehicles is a joke. Ford just doesn’t make very reliable cars. Never has and probably never will. And I’m speaking of a person that’s been a victim several times between model year 1983 and 2000. They ranged from just OK to downright terrible. I doubt I ever try again. I’m done giving them chances.
You mess with my ford escape and I’m leaving ford after 40 years