Ford and Rivian Mutually Cancel Lincoln Electric Vehicle Program
Lincoln and Rivian scrap plans to co-develop an all-electric SUV due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The companies insist their partnership remains intact and future electric collaborations are still on the table.
Lincoln and Rivian officially cancel their joint plans to build an all-electric vehicle based on Rivian's skateboard platform. The companies describe the cancellation as a mutual decision driven by the current economic environment, pointing directly to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as the primary cause for halting the project.
This decision arrives exactly one year after Ford invests $500 million into the Michigan-based EV startup. Although Ford reveals in January that this collaboration would result in a Lincoln electric SUV, the automaker now states it is better to focus development efforts on Lincoln's own fully electric vehicle instead of using Rivian's underlying architecture.
Despite this specific setback, both Ford and Rivian emphasize that their broader strategic partnership remains strong and unchanged. Lincoln still promises a future all-electric vehicle consistent with its brand identity, and Ford confirms it continues to work with Rivian on an alternative vehicle utilizing the startup's flexible skateboard platform.