As electric vehicle plans get reshuffled across the industry, Ford is once again adjusting its timeline. Two major EVs are being pushed back, and the focus is shifting toward smaller, more budget-friendly models, including a compact electric pickup that’s now taking priority.

Read: Flip-Flopping Ford Delays Electric Truck And Axes 3-Row EV Plans, Will Build Hybrids Instead

Suppliers were recently informed by Ford that the planned full-size electric pickup, to be produced at the new BlueOval City assembly plant in Tennessee, has been pushed back from 2027 to 2028. This new model will be a successor to the F-150 Lightning. In addition, the next-generation E-Transit will no longer launch in 2026 as originally planned, but rather in 2028.

Another Round of Delays

This is not the first time Ford has delayed the two models. As noted by Yahoo!, the new E-Transit was originally set to launch “mid-decade” after it was first announced in 2022. Similarly, the new electric pickup codenamed T3 was originally scheduled to launch this year. Just 12 months ago, Ford also killed plans for a three-row electric SUV that would have rivaled the Kia EV9 and Hyundai Ioniq 9.

“F-150 Lightning, America’s best-selling electric truck, and E-Transit continue to meet today’s customer needs,” Ford said in a recent statement. “We remain focused on delivering our Ford+ plan and will be nimble in adjusting our product launch timing to meet market needs and customer demand while targeting improved profitability.”

Shifting Toward Smaller EVs

Ford is now favoring smaller EVs. It is hard at work developing a new low-cost EV platform that will underpin several different vehicles, starting with a new compact pickup truck in 2028. According to chief executive Jim Farley, small EVs currently make the most sense in the US.

“The pure EV market in the U.S. seems to us very clear: small vehicles used for commuting and around town, so to speak,” he said. “And commercial… we think that’s going to be a robust business, but we want to shrink the number of top hats. We’re going to have just a few. And we’ve made the adjustments in timing, we think, and to be in segments where we can actually make money on EVs.”

Despite the delay, Ford says its plant in Tennessee will start making prototypes of the new T3 electric pickup in 2027

A Familiar Name Might Return

There’s also a possible nod to the past in Ford’s future product line. As uncovered by Ford Authority, the company recently filed to trademark the name Ranchero, once a classic car-truck hybrid from Ford’s history. The filing, submitted on August 5, 2025, covers both electric and gasoline-powered vehicles.

While there’s no official confirmation, the move would follow a familiar pattern, as Ford has revived other heritage names like Maverick and Lightning in recent years. The timing also lines up with an anticipated announcement about the brand’s new EV platform on August 11.

While many still expect President Trump’s tariffs and the accompanying price increases to drag down new car sales across the U.S. this year, Ford’s latest data tells a different story. The company posted a strong first half, following the general market trend that saw sales increases across most major car makers.

Ford’s total U.S. deliveries climbed 6.6 percent year-over-year in the first half. However, this upward trend doesn’t extend to Ford’s electric vehicle lineup, which has seen a sharp drop in demand across several key models.

Electric Sales Lose Ground

Through the first six months of the year, Ford sold 21,785 units of the Mustang Mach-E in the States, a 2 percent decline from the 22,234 sold during the same period last year. More concerning is the model’s second-quarter performance. Between April and June, Ford delivered 10,178 Mach-Es, down 19.5 percent from the 12,645 sold in Q2 of the previous year.

Read: Ford Pulls Mustang Mach-E From Sale Over Dangerous Door Lock Flaw

The gas-powered Mustang hasn’t been immune to slowing demand either. Sales fell 14.2 percent in the first half of the year, totaling 23,551 units. However, in the second quarter, it regained some ground, with 14,174 units sold, an increase of 3.2 percent compared to the same period last year.

That uptick allowed the gas-powered Mustang to outsell its electric counterpart in Q2, even though it still trails in year-to-date totals.

Lightning and E-Transit See Steep Declines

Interest in the E-Transit has also dropped off a cliff. In the first half, sales are down 33.8 percent to 4,174, while in Q2, things were even worse. Ford sold just 418 E-Transits during Q2, down 87.7 percent from the year prior. Sales of the all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning are also down, with 13,029 units sold this year, a drop of 16.7 percent. Sales declined by 26.1 percent in Q2 to 5,842 units sold, compared to 7,902 last year.

In total, Ford’s electric vehicle sales dropped 31.4 percent in the second quarter and 11.8 percent through the first half of the year. The good news for the company lies with hybrids, which are moving in the opposite direction. Hybrid sales rose 23.5 percent in Q2 to 66,448 units and are up 27.4 percent year-to-date, totaling 117,521.

Lincoln Sees Steady Growth

Lincoln also posted solid gains in the first half of the year, driven by strong demand for its SUV lineup. Total brand sales rose 12.8 percent year-over-year to 55,063 units, with a particularly strong showing in the second quarter, where sales climbed 31 percent to 31,332.

The Navigator stood out with an impressive 114.9 percent jump in Q2 sales, while the Aviator, Nautilus, and Corsair also posted double-digit increases. While Lincoln’s overall volume is modest compared to the Ford brand, its steady upward trend suggests growing interest in its premium offerings.

Strong Combustion and Hybrid Growth Balances Out EV Dip

Despite the sharp drop in EV sales, Ford and its Lincoln brand powered through, selling 1,113,386 vehicles in the US during the first half, a solid 6.6 percent increase over last year. The second quarter stood out with 612,095 new Ford and Lincolns finding buyers, marking a 14.2 percent jump from the previous year’s 536,050.

Ford USA Sales

Thousands of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students could soon be left without a safe or consistent way to get to class as both the city’s transit systems and school transportation network confront structural instability, rising costs and limited resources.

At the center of this crisis is a $771 million funding shortfall projected to hit the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA)—which oversees CTA, Metra, and Pace—by fiscal year 2026. At the same time, CPS continues to restrict access to yellow school bus services, offering it primarily to students with disabilities or those experiencing housing instability.

The result: A looming transportation cliff for tens of thousands of students who rely on a fragile mix of public buses, trains and limited school transport options.

CPS Acknowledges Strain, Defends Strategy

In a statement to School Transportation News, CPS emphasized its commitment to student transportation.

“Chicago Public Schools (CPS) remains committed to working in partnership with vendors, city agencies, and families to provide yellow bus transportation to eligible students,” the district said. “The district is in the process of developing the FY 2026 budget, which must be presented to the Chicago Board of Education by the end of August.”

As of June 2, CPS reported that 14,135 students (approximately 82 percent of the 17,130 eligible for transportation service out of a total enrollment of 325,000) had been assigned a school bus route during the 2024-2025 school year, which ended Thursday. The majority – 11,894 – were students with disabilities, with 2,073 being general education students and 168 served under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.

CPS emphasized that its transportation system is outsourced and must cover more than 200 square miles of city territory. The routing process is “ongoing,” the district noted, and subject to constant change due to shifting student addresses and school enrollments.

City Transit Cuts Threaten the Backup Plan

For students who do not qualify for yellow school bus service—particularly high schoolers attending selective enrollment, charter or magnet schools—Chicago’s public transit has long served as the fallback.

But that fallback may soon collapse.

The RTA warned of devastating service reductions beginning in 2026, when pandemic-era federal aid dries up. Without new revenue from the state or local governments, CTA could lose up to 60 percent of its bus routes and half its rail service, impacting more than 500,000 daily riders.

The consequences for students could be severe. CPS has not released updated transit ridership data, but a 2020 report estimated that over 70 percent of CPS high schoolers relied on public transit to reach school. That reliance is unlikely to have changed significantly, especially as CPS continues to limit yellow bus eligibility.

CPS Measures to Mitigate the Impact

To address existing transportation challenges, CPS said it increased wages for yellow bus drivers—twice in the past three years – and adjusted school bell times at selected campuses to maximize routing efficiency. CPS also expanded its school bus driver recruitment through job fairs and citywide media campaigns. And it sought an extension of the federal “under-the-hood” waiver that bypasses a need for school bus driver applicants to take the engine compartment pre-trip inspection portion of the commercial driver’s license exam.

CPS and the Illinois Secretary of State offered CDL testing and study materials in both English and Spanish languages.

As of June 2, the district had 901 school bus drivers available to service CPS routes.

CPS also continues its partnership with the CTA to provide free Ventra cards to eligible general education students who qualify for transportation but do not have access to a school bus. These cards have been distributed since the beginning of the school year and remain a stopgap solution.

Still, transportation advocates argue these efforts, while important, fall short of meeting the broader need—particularly for families who live far from their assigned or chosen schools.

In 2023, CPS launched a “hub stop” pilot program to address ongoing bus driver shortages. Instead of home-based pick-ups, students are directed to centralized stops—often located miles away. CPS officials said the program has helped streamline operations and is expected to serve about 1,000 students by the end of this school year.

But the hub model has raised concerns about accessibility, especially for students in neighborhoods with high crime rates, inadequate sidewalks, or limited parental availability due to work schedules.

Advocates have also questioned whether the program adheres to federal transportation mandates under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), particularly for students with IEPs who require specialized transport accommodations.

Chicago By the Numbers

 

• 325,000+ — Total CPS student enrollment

• 17,130 — Students eligible for yellow bus transportation

• 14,135 — Students routed as of June 2, 2025

• 901 — Bus drivers assigned to CPS routes

• $770 million — RTA’s projected 2026 funding gap

• 70%+ — CPS high schoolers estimated to rely on public transit

• 2031 — Year seatbelt requirement would take effect (if signed)

What’s at Stake? Access and Equity

For years, CPS transportation decisions have sparked debate about educational equity—especially for students on the city’s South and West Sides, who often must travel long distances to access high-performing schools.

Without reliable transit or door-to-door busing, some families report chronic absenteeism, tardiness and even school withdrawal. The collapse of public transit service—combined with limitations in school busing—could compound the accessibility crisis.

As CPS finalizes its FY 2026 budget and state lawmakers continue negotiating over transit funding, advocates are urging both city and state leaders to prioritize a student-centered transportation strategy that addresses the unique logistical demands of urban education.

Without coordinated action, thousands of Chicago students could be left behind—literally.

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Related: Chicago Students Left Without School Transportation Get Piggyback Rides to School
Related: New Incentives in Place to Keep Illinois School Bus Drivers Working During Holidays
Related: Illinois Bill Advances to Require Lap/Shoulder Seatbelts on New School Buses

The post Chicago’s School Transit System Under Strain, Threatens Student Access appeared first on School Transportation News.

A Colorado school district paid $16.2 million for abuse of a five-year-old student by a bus attendant. Additionally, New York’s electric school bus mandate is nearing and questions persist. Read more in STN’s June issue, out now.

Following the death of an Ohio student near a transit bus stop, safety conversations have reignited. Michael Miller, transportation director for Sycamore Community Schools and president of the Ohio Association for Pupil Transportation, is joined by Todd Silverthorn, second OAPT vice president and transportation director for Kettering School District. They discuss how legislation and the driver shortage complicate operations and analyze the controversial use of transit buses and vans to provide required transportation to non-public schools.

Read more about safety.

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The post (STN Podcast E260) Beneficial and Safe: Ohio Standouts Talk Safety vs. Reactionary Legislation appeared first on School Transportation News.