Rivian-Based Ford EV an SUV?

Ford Motor Co. has finalized most of the engineering details for the all-electric vehicle it is developing with Rivian Automotive LLC, Ford CEO Jim Hackett tells Motor Trend.

The Ford EV will ride on the “skateboard” chassis that Rivian developed for its own electric models—the R1T pickup and R12 SUV—that are expected a few years from now.

But Hackett cautions against assuming the Ford vehicle is an SUV, as some earlier reports concluded.

Hackett likens Rivian’s architecture, which includes the drivetrain and electronic control units, to the operating system for a computer or smartphone. Ford will develop its own vehicle body to sit on the platform.

In addition to the skateboard chassis, Rivian likely will assemble Ford’s entire EV at the former Mitsubishi Motors Corp. factory in Normal, Ill., which Rivian acquired two years ago. Noting that the Illinois plant meets Ford’s requirements, Hackett says it would be “counterproductive” not to use it.

In April, Ford announced plans to invest $500 million in Rivian and partner with the Plymouth, Mich.-based company on an electric truck.

Separately, Ford is partnering with Volkswagen AG to use the German carmaker’s MEB platform for small and midsize electric cars for the European market. Ford also continues to develop its own EVs, including an electric variant of the F-150 fullsize pickup and a Mustang-inspired crossover.