Ford Escape and Lincoln Corsair to Be Discontinued in the U.S. as Ford Makes Room for New EVs

Ford has opted to drop its most affordable internal-combustion vehicles from the U.S. lineup as it prepares for a major overhaul of its Louisville Assembly Plant in Kentucky, where those models are built. The factory is set for a large-scale modernization that will introduce a new flexible manufacturing line. Starting in 2027, the plant will produce electric vehicles based on Ford’s new Universal EV Platform.

Earlier this week, we reported that Ford has taken significant financial hits from its EV push, losing tens of billions of dollars on electric vehicle development. Many of those projects were ultimately scrapped as unviable. Still, the automaker is pressing ahead with plans for a new family of more affordable EVs built on the Universal EV Platform, which was unveiled this August at the Louisville facility. The first model on that architecture is expected to be a compact electric pickup priced from around $30,000, with production slated to begin in 2027.

The presentation of the Universal EV Platform was led personally by Ford CEO Jim Farley, making it very much his own initiative—and his responsibility. Alongside the new platform, Ford plans to roll out a revamped manufacturing approach at the Louisville plant, dubbed the Ford Universal EV Production System. Unlike a traditional linear assembly line, the new setup relies on a branched, flexible conveyor system. Farley says this should significantly cut costs and reduce the number of workers required per vehicle.

To implement the new production system, the Louisville plant will need to shut down for roughly a year. That reality made it clear as early as August that the Ford Escape and Lincoln Corsair built there would need a new home—or face the axe. Ford has yet to issue an official statement on the fate of these models, but multiple U.S. media outlets reported this week that both the Escape and Corsair have already ended production, with the final vehicles rolling off the line on December 17. There are no plans to move their assembly to another factory.

The decision looks puzzling in light of Ford’s recent statements about shifting focus away from pure EVs and back toward hybrids. Both the Escape and Corsair are offered with plug-in hybrid powertrains. What’s more, sales of both crossovers have ticked up this year. In the first three quarters, Ford sold 114,728 Escapes in the U.S., up 3.8% year over year, while Lincoln moved 19,806 Corsairs, a modest 0.4% increase.

In short, dropping these models feels like Ford shooting itself in the foot. Industry sources say Ford dealers are far from pleased, especially since the Escape is currently the brand’s most affordable vehicle in the U.S., while the Corsair holds that title for Lincoln. Still, the call has been made, and Jim Farley is moving forward with what may be his boldest EV gamble yet.

The current Ford Escape and Lincoln Corsair are closely related models built on Ford’s C2 modular platform, which also underpinned the fourth-generation European Ford Focus—a model recently discontinued without a direct replacement. Both crossovers debuted in 2019 and received mid-cycle updates in 2022. The Lincoln Corsair is still produced in Chongqing, China, through the Changan Ford joint venture, but given today’s geopolitical tensions, exporting Chinese-built Corsairs to the U.S. appears highly unlikely.