Lincoln is preparing to enter the electric vehicle market with a small crossover built on the same platform as Ford’s forthcoming Fathom pickup, according to a new report. The model is expected to be assembled at Ford’s Louisville Assembly plant in Kentucky, where the Fathom is also slated for production starting in 2027.
The move marks another strategic shift for the luxury brand, which has yet to offer a fully electric vehicle nearly a decade after first announcing plans to do so. Lincoln originally revealed in 2020 that it was developing an EV based on Rivian’s technology, but that project was abandoned three months later amid the coronavirus pandemic. Ford subsequently ended its partnership with Rivian and turned to developing Lincoln EVs in-house, with ambitions to convert its Oakville Assembly plant in Canada into a hub for electric vehicle manufacturing that would produce five models.
Those plans were later scrapped as well. The Oakville facility was transformed into a truck plant, and Lincoln’s EV ambitions were shelved as consumer adoption of electric vehicles proved slower than many automakers had anticipated. Now, according to Automotive News, the brand is once again moving forward with an electric model, this time based on Ford’s new Universal Electric Vehicle platform that underpins the Fathom pickup.
Details about the upcoming crossover remain scarce, but the report suggests it could serve as an electric replacement for the Corsair. The American-built Corsair went out of production last year, and an updated version had been expected to be imported from China for the 2027 model year. However, Lincoln recently announced it would phase out the importation of vehicles from China for the U.S. market, leaving the Corsair’s future uncertain.
The new electric crossover is not the only model in Lincoln’s pipeline. The brand is also said to be working on a luxury SUV based on the Ford Bronco, alongside redesigned versions of the Aviator and Navigator expected toward the end of the decade. These additions would give Lincoln a refreshed lineup as it seeks to establish a presence in the growing electric luxury segment.
For Ford, the shared platform strategy reflects a broader effort to spread development costs across multiple brands and vehicle types. The Fathom, a compact electric pickup priced around $28,000, is central to that approach, and leveraging the same architecture for a Lincoln crossover allows the company to offer a premium variant without developing an entirely new vehicle from scratch.
Lincoln’s delayed entry into the EV market has been a subject of scrutiny, particularly as rivals such as Cadillac and Genesis have already launched electric models. The brand’s cautious approach, however, may ultimately prove advantageous, as it has avoided the production disruptions and demand shortfalls that have affected other automakers’ EV rollouts. With production of the new crossover still several years away, Lincoln will be watching market conditions closely as it finalises its electric strategy.