Ford Motor Co. is delaying the launch of its next-generation electric commercial van and electric full-size pickup truck to 2028, the automaker confirmed Thursday.

They are the latest postponements in a wave of EV product cancellations and delays as the automotive industry realizes demand for expensive EVs with high-cost, large batteries needed to address range anxiety — and the charging network to support them — just isn't there in the eyes of many U.S. consumers. That trend likely is set to accelerate with the Trump administration's work to dismantle regulations around greenhouse gas emissions and incentives for EV transactions in what he has characterized as an effective "EV mandate."

Ford nearly a year ago had said it would launch the commercial van in 2026 at its Ohio Assembly Plant in Avon Lake outside Cleveland. At the time, it also had delayed the start of production by 18 months of the full-size pickup truck to the second half of 2027 at the new BlueOval City assembly plant in Stanton, Tennessee, outside Memphis. Pickup prototype production still is set to launch in 2027, Ford spokesperson Jessica Enoch said.

The company communicated about the timing adjustments to suppliers and employees in June, spokesperson Emma Bergg said in a statement.

"F-150 Lightning, America’s best-selling electric truck, and E-Transit continue to meet today’s customer needs," Bergg said in a statement. "We remain focused on delivering our Ford+ plan and will be nimble in adjusting our product launch timing to meet market needs and customer demand while targeting improved profitability."

Ford CEO Jim Farley has said the company won't launch an EV until it can be profitable within a year. The Model e EV division of the company has lost $2.178 billion so far this year. The annual guidance it suspended in May, because of tariffs, for the unit had forecasted a loss of between $5 billion and $5.5 billion.

The Blue Oval has touted work by a California-based small "skunkworks" team for a new EV platform able to support a few smaller models, including low-cost offerings. The first is expected to be a midsize pickup truck in 2027, five years after the group's creation.

The automaker is expected to share more details on platform and the changes in manufacturing it will usher in during an event on Monday at Louisville Assembly Plant in Kentucky, where it builds the Ford Escape and Lincoln Corsair SUVs. Farley has touted it as a "Model T moment" for the automaker.

"Seems they are not optimistic about notable acceleration in EV demand even a couple years from now," David Whiston, analyst at investment services firm Morningstar Inc., said in an email. "I was hoping they’d tease the pickup truck but this news makes that less likely they’d show something."

The truck program was known internally as "Project T3" for "trust the truck," a rallying cry for the development team. Farley said it would "revolutionize America's truck" to be simplified and more cost efficient. BlueOval City was expected to have capacity for 500,000 pickups annually.

Ford has sold under 16,000 F-150 Lightning trucks so far this year. It's sold less than 5,000 E-Transit vans.

A year ago, Ford canceled plans to produce an all-electric, three-row SUV at Oakville Assembly Complex outside Toronto, Ontario, saying it didn't expect the vehicle to be profitable because of the cost associated with the size of its battery, the most expensive part of an EV. Instead, it plans to launch Super Duty trucks there next year.

Farley on an earnings call last week emphasized a multi-energy strategy offering gas-powered, plug-in hybrid, extend-range electric and all-electric vehicles.

"We think that's a much better move than a $60,000 to $70,000 all-electric crossover," he said. "We think that that's really what customers are going to want long-term. And we're investing a lot in more durable ICE powertrains. The good news is that we've always built our business around flexibility of the powertrain, so our manufacturing operations can adjust to these."

The company, he added, has reallocated some EV spending to its commercial Ford Pro division.

BlueOval City also is home to a battery plant that is a part of Ford's joint venture with Korean battery maker SK On Ltd. Production there also has been delayed. The companies have said they're investing $5.6 billion into the campus and creating approximately 6,000 jobs.

The JV has two other battery plant at the SK BlueOval complex in Glendale, Kentucky, outside Louisville. One is slated to start production this year, and the other's opening has been delayed.

Automotive News first reported about the delay of the electric commercial van and pickup truck. Shares closed up 0.6% to $11.28, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 fell.

It's not just Ford that has delayed EV launches. General Motors Co. has delayed launching additional production of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra electric trucks at Orion Assembly to mid-2026. Chrysler parent Stellantis NV also has postponed the launch of its Ram 1500 REV truck. Honda Motor Co. Ltd. also has scaled back EV investment plans from slower-than-expect U.S. demand growth.

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