Drivers will have one less option to choose from at their local Ford dealership next year as the brand discontinues its popular compact SUV, restricting drivers’ hunts for a Ford Escape for sale to the used market. However, this could actually be a promising sign of things to come from the Big Blue Oval.
While the Escape has been a mainstay of the Ford roster since it first debuted in 2001, it will now ride off into the sunset as Ford prepares to welcome a new generation of all-electric models. It’s a bold move, especially when you consider the fact that the Escape is currently the automaker’s second-best-selling SUV. Still, it’s all part of an ambitious plan aimed at making Ford a leader in the burgeoning electric vehicle (EV) segment with the development of what’s being described as a Model T for the modern era.
The Escape has filled an important niche in the Ford lineup, and while it’s hard to say goodbye, there’s good reason to be excited about what will follow. Let’s take a closer look at the Escape’s demise, learn what it means for drivers, and see how Ford is positioning itself for success in a quickly changing market.
Eulogizing the Ford Escape
The Escape might not enjoy the same sales volume as the midsize Explorer or America’s best-selling pickup, the legendary F-150, but it has played an important role in the automaker’s evolution over the last 25 years. The compact Escape was the first Ford model to employ a crossover design, combining the best aspects of sedans and SUVs to create an entirely new category that’s since become one of the industry’s most dominant segments.
The Escape embodies everything that makes the crossover class so appealing, with its unique blend of comfort, efficiency, and utility. It has evolved to meet changing tastes, steadily integrating the latest technologies in comfort, convenience, and safety, such as modern infotainment and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), as well as hybrid (HEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrains.
The HEV and PHEV models have had a major impact in keeping the Escape relevant in a market that’s increasingly embracing hybrid technology, offering drivers an efficient alternative to the typical gas-powered model. The Escape PHEV delivers 37 miles of all-electric range, while the traditional hybrid boasts up to 41 MPG combined.
Unfortunately, these innovations aren’t enough to stave off the Escape’s extinction, which largely comes down to two factors: the arrival of another crossover SUV (the Ford Bronco Sport) and a rather practical matter of production capacity. The Escape is currently produced at Ford’s Louisville Assembly Plant in Kentucky, but that facility will soon be retooled to create a midsize EV pickup truck that Ford CEO Jim Fahey has described as Ford’s new “Model T moment.”
That pickup will trade on its affordability and will ride on the brand’s new Universal Electric Vehicle Platform (UEVP) as part of a new $2 billion investment from the Big Blue Oval. So, let’s take a look at this innovative EV pickup and see how it could do for the all-electric segment what the original Model T did for gas-powered transportation some hundred-plus years ago.
Expanding the EV Universe
A new generation of all-electric Ford vehicles begins with a new platform and an entirely new approach to automotive manufacturing. Ford has made a substantial investment in its EV future, sinking $5 billion into the development of the Universal EV Production System (UEPS) and the Universal Electric Vehicle Platform (UEVP).
Around $3 billion will be used to create a new Michigan-based factory that will create the country’s first lithium iron phosphate (LFP) prismatic batteries, while $2 billion is being allocated to turn the company’s Louisville Assembly Plant into a cutting-edge facility that could very well revolutionize the way that today’s EVs are made. The adoption of the UEPS will see Ford’s Louisville plant expand by as much as 52,000 sq.ft., creating or retaining up to 2,200 jobs in the area, while the new battery factory will add another 1,800 employees.
We’ll start with the LFP battery, which will be created at the new BlueOval Battery Park in Marshall, Michigan. The LFP design eschews the cobalt and nickel used in most of today’s EV batteries in favor of iron and phosphate, which hold several key advantages over the average nickel-cobalt-manganese (NMC) battery.
The LFP battery should be much cheaper to produce, which is a big part of the equation when it comes to ushering in a new era of affordable EVs. An EV’s battery is typically its most expensive component, but the new LFP alternative could cost 10% to 15% less than your typical NMC battery and go a long way in making EVs more accessible to the average driver. The LFP battery is also said to be safer and more durable than the current NMC design, which should help to reduce lifetime ownership costs and give drivers an increased sense of safety.
While the new LFP battery represents an important part of the equation, it’s Ford’s new Universal EV Production System and Universal Electric Vehicle Platform that really stand to turn the industry on its head. Ford may have pioneered the assembly line process back in 1913, and while there have been significant advancements over the years, the approach is starting to look somewhat outdated after more than a century. The UEPS aims to replace the standard assembly line with a new “assembly tree” method, which employs a more modular technique designed to speed up the process by up to 15% and promote employee ergonomics without compromising quality.
Under the UEPS method, different sub-assemblies will be produced on three separate production lines before finally converging into a cohesive vehicle. These sub-assemblies will be installed on new unicast aluminium components that double as the EV’s structural base, and the results speak for themselves. The new process is said to use 20% fewer parts than the current method, which, in combination with the faster production time and more affordable battery, should have a significant impact on the final price tag of Ford’s first UEVP-equipped model.
Awaiting the EV Model T
Given Ford’s reputation in the pickup segment, it’s little surprise to learn that the brand’s first UEVP offering will be a truck. The automaker already offers an EV version of its best-selling pickup in the F-150 Lightning, but the new model could allow Ford to quickly enjoy the same sort of dominance in the midsize segment. While details are still a little hard to come by, there are some pretty encouraging signs.
First off, there’s the price. The typical 2025 EV retails for around $55,000, but pickups tend to be a lot pricer, with an average cost of $68,000. The as-yet-unnamed Ford pickup is expected to bring down the mean with a price tag that could be as low as $30,000, made possible by the cost-cutting qualities of the new UEPS and UEVP. This pickup will have far fewer components than your typical model, requiring half the fasteners, two-thirds of the welds, and 4,000 feet less wiring than the standard EV pickup.
While these statistics might help illustrate the truck’s low cost, it is performance—not price—that typically draws drivers to the segment. Luckily, the midsize EV aims to please with a potent powertrain that’s said to rival an EcoBoost-equipped Mustang in terms of its zero-to-60-mph time. A four-door design will make the model a more practical option for those seeking an efficient family vehicle, and it will even include a novel vehicle-to-home (V2H) interface that converts the truck into a ready-made generator that’s perfect for extended power outages.
While the exact specs of the V2H feature will ultimately be determined by the EV’s battery, the current F-150 Lightning is capable of powering an entire home for up to ten days when rationing your power consumption, or around three days on full power. The lack of a traditional gas engine will also create ample space for storage between the rear cargo area and front trunk, allowing the EV to deliver the same unbeatable utility that drivers have come to expect from Ford’s pickups.
It also appears that the first UEVP model will be equipped with Ford’s BlueCruise hands-free driving tool, which enables drivers to experience true automotive automation on over 130,000 miles of divided highways across North America. It’s an enticing package, for sure.
This Is Just the First Step
Ford’s midsize EV pickup will be the first model to embrace the UEVP design, but it won’t be the last. As the name implies, the universal platform was created to support a full lineup of next-generation EVs. From additional pickups and crossovers to commercial vans and even potentially some sedans, the UEVP is the foundation on which Ford will build its all-electric future.
Ford might not have been a trailblazer in the world of hybrid and EV design, but it’s certainly making up for lost time by retooling entire factories and creating a homegrown LFP battery that could well become the new standard in the EV segment. While startups and smaller brands have set the stage for today’s all-electric market, Ford’s considerable resources and deep pockets make the company the odds-on favorite to seize the EV crown.
The fact that this evolution had to come at the cost of the spunky Escape is unfortunate, but drivers will still have a chance to purchase the compact crossover (and its luxury cousin, the Lincoln Corsair) through 2026 thanks to a healthy backstock of both models.
