It’s been a long and winding road for the pair of expected three-row Ford EV SUVs that have reportedly been in the works for quite a few years now – one that came to an abrupt end just yesterday, when The Blue Oval announced that both of those vehicles – long-rumored to be all-electric versions of the Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator – had been canceled, and instead will be replaced by new hybrid models. However, a recent post from Mike Martinez of Automotive News perfectly sums up just how much plans changed prior to that point.
Maybe the real 3-row EVs were the friends we made along the way.
Aug. ’19: Slated for FRAP in ’23
Nov. ’19: Moved to OHAP
March ’21: Moved to 🇲🇽
Dec. ’21: Pulled from 🇲🇽, delayed to ’25
April ’23: Moved to 🇨🇦
March ’24: Delayed to ’27
July ’24: Pulled from 🇨🇦
Aug. ’24: Killed pic.twitter.com/b4OMcMYY6J— Michael Martinez (@MikeMartinez_AN) August 21, 2024
Here, Martinez gives us an abbreviated timeline of the ill-fated three-row Ford EV, which started back in August of 2019, when it was originally slated to be built at the Flat Rock Assembly plant. At the time, there was certainly space at FRAP after production of the Ford Fusion and Lincoln Continental ended, leaving the Ford Mustang as the only product stemming from the plant. However, shortly after that, FoMoCo decided to move production to the Ohio Assembly plant. A couple of years later, Ford announced that those two models would then be built at the Cuautitlan Assembly Plant in Mexico, drawing the ire of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union in the process.
It was only a few months later that Ford announced it was delaying these Ford EV models to 2025, and in April 2023, it followed that up by revealing that it would be building both at the Oakville Assembly plant in Canada, replacing the discontinued Ford Edge and the Lincoln Nautilus, which is now built in China. Those models were later delayed to 2027, then pulled from Oakville altogether – replaced by production of the Ford Super Duty – and now, both are officially canceled, a somewhat bizarre end to this long running saga.
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Comments
I have ordered one but need to know: When will the Oakwood Ontario Assembly Plant begin producing the 2025 Nautilus Black Label?
Edge/Nautilus production is finished at Oakville and we are down til 2026. We were supposed to build 3 row EVs which are now cancelled.
Oakville is down til 2026 and when we start back up it will be Super Duty Production. The last lincoln Nautilus rolled of the line in December of 2023. Your 2025 Nautilus will be from China.
I heard they’re considering a 6 row hydrogen powered one now.