Lincoln's Upcoming Electric SUV Might Use Rivian's Skateboard EV Platform

author: Manish Kharinta   

It's common knowledge that U.S. automaker Ford Motor Company partnered with e-commerce giant Amazon in a billion dollar investment in Detroit-based electric truck start-up Rivian. 

Now as it turns out, Ford's luxury division Lincoln might also capitalize on its parent company's investment—by utilizing Rivian's innovative skateboard architecture for developing its next electric offering.

Lincoln's e-SUV will likely enter production after the Rivian R1S pickup, which has been slated to hit the assembly line in early 2021. 

Prices for Rivian R1S will start at $72,500 and we expect that Lincoln's luxury electric utility vehicle will be offered with a more premium price tag. Lincoln's fully-electric SUV is expected to make its debut sometime in mid-2022. 

According to several sources associated with the project, Lincoln's e-SUV will get an all-wheel-drive setup and will rival the likes of Tesla Model X, Audi e-tron, Rivian R1S amongst others in the segment.

As we reported earlier, fellow mainstream American carmaker General Motors is also working on its own electric SUV iterations, one of which will be offered under the brand's luxury subsidiary Cadillac. 

Recent reports also suggest that Ford rival GM might also be working on developing another vehicle that might be introduced under the recently resurrected Hummer nameplate. Booth of these new electric SUVs are expected to go on sale by 2023.

After matching Amazon's $500 million investment in Rivian, Ford announced that it will use the Rivian's skateboard platform to develop a range of new electric vehicles. The blue oven brand is eager to assist Rivian in ramping up production at the 2.6 million square foot former Mitsubishi plant in Normal, Illinois by next year. Rivian purchased the former Mitsubishi factory in early 2017.

The Rivian R1T SUV is built on a skateboard platform that Ford and Lincoln might use for their own upcoming EVs.

According to sources, Ford's luxury brand also plans on developing a broad EV portfolio and we should expect a compact electric crossover to join Lincoln's range by early 2022 (if not sooner), which will likely be followed by the debut of a mid-size model. It's still unclear where Lincoln will manufacture its upcoming EVs. 

Amazon has already placed an order for 100,000 Rivian electric delivery vehicles, which will be manufactured out of the company's Illinois factory. The first deliveries of Rivian's electric vans are expected to start in 2021. 

Thanks to Amazon's order and investments from other backers, Rivian has raised $1.9 billion since its inception back in 2009.

Ford is also aggressively revamping the rest of its portfolio to focus more on electric utility vehicles. The company recently unveiled its first fully-electric model (the Mach E electric SUV) at the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show two weeks ago. 

We expect more electrified offerings to join Ford's lineup as part of the brand's $11.5 billion electrification initiative.

Manish Kharinta

Manish Kharinta is a automotive writer based in the Los Angeles area. He has worked for automotive industry websites TheSmokingClutch.com, CarDekho.com and CarBikeindia.com. His experience ranges from covering auto shows, to car reviews and breaking automotive news. Manish aims to bring forth his unique perspective on automotive design and technological innovations in the automotive industry.