Ford is planning to bring back the Escape nameplate as an all-electric compact crossover later this decade, according to a report from Ford Authority.
The vehicle, internally designated U833, is expected to enter production at Ford’s Louisville Assembly Plant in Kentucky in 2029. The electric crossover would revive the Escape model after production of the gasoline-powered version ended at the facility in December 2025.
Escape Nameplate Expected to Return
The Ford Escape and Lincoln Corsair were discontinued at Louisville Assembly last year, leaving Ford without a compact crossover offering in a segment that continues to attract significant consumer demand.
Reports regarding a potential electric successor first emerged in 2022, when AutoForecast Solutions indicated that Ford was considering an all-electric version of the Escape. The latest report suggests those plans remain in place.
The upcoming model is expected to be similar in size to the outgoing Escape while transitioning to a fully electric powertrain.
Built on Ford’s New EV Architecture
According to Ford Authority, the Escape EV will be based on Ford’s new Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) platform.
The architecture is expected to underpin a broad range of future electric vehicles and is designed to support multiple body styles, including crossovers, pickup trucks, vans and sedans.
The Escape EV is expected to become the second vehicle built on the platform, following a new mid-size electric pickup truck scheduled to enter production at Louisville beginning next year.
Broad Product Expansion Planned
Previous reports indicate that the UEV platform has been engineered to support as many as eight different vehicle configurations.
The current roadmap reportedly includes two-row and three-row sport utility vehicles, a compact sedan, a larger sedan and a van, although Ford has not publicly announced launch dates for those future models.
Focus on Affordability
During Ford’s recent annual shareholder meeting, Chief Executive Officer Jim Farley highlighted the importance of the company’s next-generation electric vehicle platform.
“It will be an enormously important vehicle for us and platform,” Farley said, referring to the upcoming electric pickup.
“We have lots of plans for other vehicles off the platform.”
Farley added that Ford’s goal is to develop electric vehicles with lower ownership costs and broader consumer appeal.
“We’ve designed this vehicle to be the most affordable and have the lowest operating costs of any EV for customers and this will be really exciting development for the company.”
While Ford has not officially confirmed the Escape EV, the reported timeline suggests the company intends to continue expanding its electric vehicle lineup with a focus on more affordable and mainstream products in the years ahead.