Former Model S engineer posted image of cancelled SUV that CEO Jim Farley called 'personal bullet train'
Ford's cancelled three-row electric SUV has emerged from corporate secrecy. Former EV boss Doug Field posted the vehicle's profile on LinkedIn. The project died in 2024 amid falling demand.
The SUV was supposed to launch in 2025 with over 350 miles of range before Ford axed the programme. CEO Jim Farley had called it a 'personal bullet train' when first teased in May 2023, according to company statements from that period. Ford now calls it a research vehicle informing future EV development.
Field reveals Genesis-like profile
Doug Field, who left Ford's EV division, used the SUV image as his LinkedIn header photo sometime last year. The profile shows a Genesis GV60-like front end with an extended sloping roofline and truncated rear section reminiscent of the 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona coupe. Field previously worked on Tesla's Model S before joining Ford's electric vehicle programme. The image represents the first clear view of the vehicle's exterior design, which Ford had kept under wraps during development. A Ford spokesperson confirmed to The Drive that the vehicle shown is indeed the cancelled three-row SUV project.
Hybrid pivot replaces EV ambitions
Ford announced a strategy shift in late 2025, expanding hybrid offerings across nearly every model by decade's end. The next F-150 Lightning will become a range-extended electric vehicle with onboard generator, abandoning pure battery power. This contrasts sharply with the original three-row SUV plan, which targeted pure electric operation with 350-plus mile range. Ford's broader industry restructuring efforts now focus on a Universal EV platform for affordable models. The first Universal platform vehicle will be a mid-size pickup truck launching in 2027, designed to accommodate multiple body styles across Ford's range.
Two-year gap from tease to cancellation
Ford first teased the three-row SUV in May 2023, giving it 24 months of public development before cancellation in 2024. The 350-mile range target would have exceeded the Hyundai Ioniq 9's 305-mile EPA rating by 45 miles. Ford's EV sales fell short of internal projections by an undisclosed margin, forcing the project's termination before production tooling began. The company invested an estimated tens of millions in development costs before pulling the plug. The 2025 launch window would have positioned it against the Mercedes EQS SUV and BMW iX, both launching earlier with similar three-row configurations and 300-plus mile ranges.
Research vehicle claims raise questions
Ford's description of the cancelled SUV as a 'research vehicle informing future EV development' doesn't align with typical automotive development cycles. Production-ready vehicles scheduled for 2025 launch rarely serve as research platforms, having already completed most engineering validation. The styling appears finished rather than conceptual, with resolved proportions and production-feasible surfaces. Yet Ford maintains the vehicle now influences its next-generation EV architecture, suggesting either incomplete development or post-cancellation repurposing. The company hasn't explained how a cancelled production vehicle transitions to research status or what specific technologies transfer to future products.
The cancelled SUV joins a growing list of abandoned three-row EVs, including Cadillac's delayed Escalade IQ and Lincoln's shelved electric Navigator variant. Ford's Universal platform debuts with the 2027 mid-size pickup, potentially reviving three-row electric ambitions in different form. The complete Ford model history and specifications are catalogued in the Global Auto Index manufacturer database.
