Lincoln cancels its Rivian-based EV due to COVID-19
Ford's luxury brand still has an electric car in the works.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has led to another car cancellation: Lincoln’s Rivian-based electric SUV. After a report in Automotive News, Lincoln has confirmed to Autoblog that the EV has been scrapped due to the “current environment.” The pandemic, in other words. The two are sticking to their overall commitment and an “alternative vehicle” based on Rivian’s platform, but that initial project is no more.
Lincoln also said it planned to make an EV “consistent with its Quiet Flight DNA,” but didn’t share more details. It wouldn’t be surprising if the brand based a vehicle on parent company Ford’s Mustang Mach-E or the electric F-150, but it’s clearly too soon to know where Lincoln is going.
This isn’t a deadly blow to Rivian, which received a $500 million investment from Ford. However, it comes as Rivian has delayed deliveries of its self-branded EVs to 2021 due to COVID-19-related production setbacks. The startup’s formal market debut is going to be far rougher than expected, and that’s assuming there aren’t any other surprises.
