The Ford Edge Is Supposed To Go Electric, but Will It Look Like the China-Only Model?

The Dearborn-based carmaker officially revealed the 2024 Ford Edge back in February. The crossover entered production. It was about time, considering that the previous generation had been on the market since 2015, with a facelift in 2019 and some tech upgrades for 2021.

But the new generation is a Chinese affair only, and it is an L-branded model, which stands for Long. The extended wheelbase translates into more space on board the vehicle and an extra row of seats.

The Chinese Edge L sports one radical design, totally different from what we know about the model in North America and Europe, with the latter looking outdated, only if we consider the super slim LED bar headlights connected by an LED bar stretching all above the radiator grille, sleek silhouette, and the absolutely massive 27-inch touchscreen on board the model available in China.

Meanwhile, in the US, the Edge crossover will be officially retired after the 2023 model year.

But now, according to sources familiar with Ford’s product strategy, the company is working on a replacement for the Edge, and it should be electric. The model would come as the third or fourth electric Ford after the Mustang Mach-E crossover, which slots below the Edge in terms of proportions, and the F-150 pickup truck.

There is no information about the moment the electric successor of the Ford Edge is supposed to arrive. But most likely, it should drop sometime after the second generation of the Ford F-150 Lightning pickup truck and the upcoming electric Ford Explorer, said CEO Jim Farley during the Q2 earnings call.

The Explorer EV, as well as the Lincoln Aviator, with which it shares architecture, engines, and transmission, will roll off the assembly line in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, once the production of the ICE-powered Ford Edge comes to a halt.

Ford is charging in the crossover segment and the Mach-E is just a sign that the company is doing it electric, despite Jim Farley claiming that gasoline-powered two-row crossovers would be going away.

Ford started a price war with Tesla. Once the EV maker slashed prices of the Model Y, Ford had to do it as well to stay competitive. This is the fate that an electric successor of the Edge would have as well. The market is replete with electric crossovers. And it order to keep head above water, carmakers need to offer more standard equipment, more power, and lower prices.

Ford is planning to roll out a second generation of the Mustang Mach-E in 2026, while Tesla’s model update strategy continues to be unpredictable.