Ford's cancelled 'personal bullet train' electric SUV revealed

The design of an abandoned Ford three-row electric SUV has been hiding in plain sight on the LinkedIn profile of the company’s former electric vehicle (EV) lead.

As reported by Ford Authority, an image of the white five-door SUV prototype has been the banner image on Mr Field’s LinkedIn page for the past 12 months, as confirmed to The Drive.

“It is the three-row SUV we cancelled in 2024,” a Ford spokesperson confirmed to The Drive.

“It is now a research vehicle that is informing our next generation of electric vehicles. You will see its significant influence on our next gen electric vehicles.”

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Ford announced a new strategy last week, including a revised corporate structure and fresh product plans as the US automaker looks to rebound after billions in EV-related losses.

News of the restructure included the departure of Mr Field from his role as Chief EV, Digital and Design Officer. The former Tesla executive was poached from Apple in 2021 to lead Ford’s EV push.

Mr Field’s LinkedIn profile has featured the image of the cancelled SUV, which he had previously described as “a personal bullet train”, according to Ford Authority, and was designed to slot above the Ford Mustang Mach-E in its lineup.

“It’s beautiful and it’s unlike anything in the segment so far. It’ll be affordable. It’ll be longer, sleeker, quieter vehicle with amazing size and features of an interior space,” Mr Field said previously.

“We’ve engineered the battery and charging, so not only can you travel those distances on the highway, but you can stop for less than 10 minutes and pick up 150 miles [241km] of range.”

However, the sleek ‘bullet train’ from the Doug Field era won’t form part of the latest product strategy, with the unnamed electric SUV officially cancelled in August 2024.

In early 2025, Ford CEO Jim Farley told media large electric SUVs weren’t appealing to private buyers.

A description of the cancelled SUV obtained by The Drive included a claimed electric range of up to 563km, or an ‘extended-range’ range of up to 885km – indicating a range-extender version, using a petrol engine, was also in development.

Mr Farley has said the automaker would pivot to range-extender hybrid powertrains instead of pure EVs, at least for larger vehicles, with the Ford F-150 Lightning that was previously an EV set to be one of the first models expected to adopt the technology.

The Oakville plant in Ontario, Canada, where the cancelled electric SUV was set to be built, has instead been retooled to produce Ford F-Series Super Duty pickups.

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