Ford’s strategic partnership with Rivian, first announced in April, will spawn a battery-electric Lincoln SUV that will hit the market in mid-2022.
The new electric Lincoln will be based on Rivian’s skateboard platform, which underpins both its R1T electric pickup and R1S electric SUV, the latter of which is pictured below.
It’s not clear how big the Lincoln EV will be, though Rivian’s skateboard chassis is modular and could serve as the basis for a variety of vehicle types and sizes.
The Rivian-developed electric Lincoln will be well positioned to take on the future electric Cadillac Escalade, which is expected to ride on General Motors‘ new BT1 electric vehicle platform. The Escalade EV should feature all-wheel drive and have a maximum driving range of around 400 miles.
The Lincoln may also take the right to the rumored electric Hummer SUV, which is expected to share the BT1 electric platform with the Escalade. GM’s forthcoming electric pickup truck will tap the BT1 platform as well.
Rivian Skateboard Chassis
Meanwhile, the Rivian R1S will be available with 105-, 135- and 180-kWh battery packs, with the largest of those expected to deliver a driving range of around 410 miles. The most powerful version will have up to 754 horsepower on tap and will be able to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.0 seconds, Rivian claims. All versions of the R1S feature four electric motors – one mounted at each wheel – though it’s not clear if the Lincoln SUV will also feature the quad-motor setup. Rivian also says the R1S will be able to tow up to 7,716 pounds even in base form. These stats may be indicative of what Lincoln has planned for its own electric SUV.
Ford invested $500 million in Rivian earlier this year and announced a strategic partnership with the Michigan-based electric vehicle start-up that would help it expedite the development of numerous battery electric Ford and Lincoln products. Lincoln is expected to launch a smaller electric crossover in late 2021 in addition to the larger Rivian-developed product that will arrive in 2022. The smaller crossover may also serve as a rival to the electric Cadillac crossover, which Cadillac showed a concept design for at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show in January.
Subscribe to GM Authority for more Cadillac Escalade news, Cadillac news and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
Comments
Once you have an electric skateboard design, it starts to beg the question of why not use it for every model that can fit on it? Why stop at trucks and big SUV’s? Why not an electric Crown Vic or Caprice? Why not a wagon? Why not an super long range sports car? Its the old body on frame design philosophy returning.
Will the Lincoln Blackwood pickup return as an EV?
It will be interesting to read the comparison test when these two go head-to-head.
But think about this; Ford looked for outside assistance. I think GM is doing it on their own?
(I can’t remember if they are teaming with Honda?)
But if they are self-reliant, to me, that makes GM’s (Cadillac’s) attempt more respectable.
Lincoln to take on Cadillac? LOL, Why aim for such low hanging fruit?
All those boring sedans and crossovers with two interior colors and two mediocre engine choices. One interesting vehicle on sale now at Cadillac, CT6 with the Blackwing and one upcoming cash cow, the Escalade.
Maybe the Korean manufactures would be better poised to take on Cadillac.
Lincoln passed by a while ago with its latest Navigator and hybrid Nautilus.
Passed by, since when?. None of these flash-pan Lincolns did anything except make buyers miss Mercury. Fords in a Tux is supposed to be impressive, lol…
I think this is where GM might actually win out in the end. Let’s not forget that GM has been developing a modular electric skateboard platform that apparently can sit under a variety of different vehicles which, in theory, would bring the price of it’s electric fleet way down. Ford, while ahead now, seems to be filling as many gaps as it can with no clear strategy and is forced to outsource vehicle development to a competitor. Kind of like what GM was doing 5-10 years ago.
precisely. GM has been very strategic as of late. They keep quiet, only announcing plans if forced. Meanwhile, they have been working on a set of global integrated platforms including electric platforms that will keep costs down and enable them to come out the gate and undercut all of the electric competition. They can do that because they’ve already spent years refining the tech. It’s only a question of when, not if. I’m predicting by 2022-2023 you’ll have a bunch of electric cars and trucks from many manufacturers but costs still won’t be low enough to sell large numbers. Then GM will drop a series of vehicles that are all competitive in terms of specs, but much cheaper. They will nab a big piece of the market. Of course, the momentum won’t be sustained if the vehicles aren’t high quality and fun to drive. But with Al Openheiser heading up the electric engineering division, we have reason to be optimistic.
A sidenote, GEM was doveloped for non-US markets spelled the end of the mainstream compact US car as GM don’t need to offer a expensive US compact here as they’ll sell way more compacts in other nations while offering more profitable CUVs and larger sedans here. Ford and FCA don’t have a plan like this and we see the results.
Notice GM EV technology is being refined in China first before being released in the US.