DETROIT – Ford Motor is delaying production of a new all-electric large SUV and pickup truck, as it shifts to offer hybrid options across its entire North American lineup by 2030.

The Detroit automaker on Thursday said it will continue to invest in EVs, but it is postponing production of the three-row SUV at a plant in Canada from 2025 to 2027 to allow for the market to mature more. The pickup is being pushed back from late 2025 to 2026.

The shift in EV plans is the latest for Ford and the entire automotive industry as adoption has been slower than many expected and production costs remain high.

Ford last year said it would delay or cancel $12 billion in planned spending on new electric vehicles due to the shifting market conditions as well as challenges to profitably building and selling the vehicles. It was not immediately clear whether the new delays were part of those plans.

“As the No. 2 EV brand in the U.S. for the past two years, we are committed to scaling a profitable EV business, using capital wisely and bringing to market the right gas, hybrid and fully electric vehicles at the right time,” Ford CEO Jim Farley said Thursday in a statement.

The three-row SUV was part of a roughly $1.3 billion investment to transition Ford’s Oakville Assembly Plant in Ontario, Canada, into a new electric vehicle hub. It was supposed to be Ford’s first time completely retooling a North American facility producing gas-powered vehicles into one that manufactures EVs.

“The additional time will allow for the consumer market for three-row EVs to further develop and enable Ford to take advantage of emerging battery technology, with the goal to provide customers increased durability and better value,” the company said in a release.

Ford said it will continue to focus its EV efforts on new plants such as its “BlueOval City” campus in Tennessee rather than transitioning current facilities producing engine-powered vehicles to all-electric models.

“Our breakthrough, next-generation EVs will be new from the ground up and fully software enabled, with ever-improving digital experiences and a multitude of potential services,” Farley said.

The automaker said the massive Tennessee facility, which was part of an $11.4 billion investment announced in 2021, will begin production of Ford’s next-generation all-electric truck, codenamed “T3,” in 2026, rather than 2025.

Ford said it is continuing construction of battery plants in Michigan, Tennessee and Kentucky.

In the first quarter of 2024, Ford’s electric vehicle sales increased by 86% from subdued levels a year earlier. Hybrid sales for the automaker rose 42% year over year, while sales of Ford’s traditional vehicles with internal combustion engines were up 2.6%.

Ford’s “Model e” electric vehicle business lost $4.7 billion in 2023, including $1.57 billion during the fourth quarter. In February, the automaker said it expected the unit to lose between $5 billion and $5.5 billion in 2024.

Stellantis said Saturday that its most recent proposal to the United Auto Workers includes raises of nearly 21% over the course of the contract, including an immediate 10% pay increase, and the end of wage tiers for some workers, the latest development in a historic showdown between the big three Detroit automakers and the union.

The Jeep maker’s proposal, which is in line with proposals from Ford and General Motors, would also continue to offer profit sharing to workers, according to new details on the offer released by the company Saturday.

“The teams have been very, very careful to listen, very careful for us to come up with best offers that we can do that also protect … the company,” COO Mark Stewart said on a Saturday call with reporters.

The standoff between the UAW and major automakers Stellantis, Ford and General Motors reached a fever pitch Friday, with the union starting work stoppages after an agreement wasn’t met by a Thursday night deadline. The so-called stand-up strike started with walkouts at three key plants — one for each automaker — with the possibility that the UAW can call on more of its members to join the strike if needed.

The union has been seeking 40% hourly pay increases, a reduced 32-hour workweek, a move back to traditional pensions, the elimination of compensation tiers and a restoration of cost-of-living adjustments, among other items. The UAW didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about the proposal.

Meanwhile, Ford and GM resumed negotiations Saturday after no talks occurred between the union any of the automakers the previous day. Stellantis said it planned to pick up talks again Monday.

UAW President Shawn Fain said earlier this week that Stellantis had previously offered a 17.5% increase.

Under the new proposal, starting pay for supplemental employees would increase by $4.22, or nearly 27%, to $20 an hour.

The company also said it would cut the timeline for ascending the hourly wage scale in half to four years, meaning all full-time hourly employees would reach the top before the contract expires. Under the offer, the wage-tier system would be eliminated entirely for its Mopar division, which is known for service, parts and customer interfacing.

Stellantis also offered an inflation protection measure within compensation. The company said it has committed more than $1 billion for improvements in the pension and retirement savings plans for current employees and retirees.

Stellantis leadership also pushed back against the union’s descriptions of the automaker’s plans to close or sell 18 facilities. The company has said it aims to run parts distribution centers more efficiently and continue shifting resources toward electric vehicles. Jobs in these plants would be persevered, the company said.

The automaker also stressed its commitment to bargaining and reaching an agreement that is financially feasible, echoing concerns raised by Ford and GM leadership. Ford CEO Jim Farley said in a CNBC interview Friday that the UAW demands would force the company to “choose bankruptcy over supporting our workers.” Stellantis’ leadership noted that the company needs to stay competitive with automakers that don’t have unionized employees.

“It’s not about warfare, it’s about win-win,” Stewart said. “It’s about us finding something that is great for our folks today, able to keep a future for tomorrow … for our company to be able to continue the investment path we have for electrification, and for our U.S. operations to be strong so we can compete against the transplants and we can compete against the new entrants.”

President Joe Biden said Friday that the companies should improve their current offers to ensure a strong contract is agreed on amid a period of record profits.

— CNBC’s Michael Wayland contributed to this report.

Ford Motor will import its next-generation Lincoln Nautilus from China to the U.S., the company said Monday night.

The midsize crossover is currently produced for the U.S. at Ford’s Oakville Assembly Plant in Ontario, Canada. The automaker recently announced it would be investing 1.8 billion Canadian dollars (about $1.3 billion) to transition the facility into a new electric vehicle hub.

This marks the first time Lincoln will import a vehicle to the U.S. from China.

Importing a vehicle from China to the U.S. is not unprecedented but can draw public and political criticism or backlash, especially when tensions between the two countries are high.

Most notably, General Motors has been criticized for importing its Buick Envision crossover from China to the U.S. since 2016. The Detroit automaker has sold more than 200,000 of the China-made vehicles, which American union officials have called the “Invasion” and “a slap in the face.”

Importing a vehicle from overseas to the U.S. can make good business sense, however, for a company such as Ford.

“In this case, it’s a good use of resources,” said Stephanie Brinley, associate director of research at S&P Global Mobility. “Without importing, Lincoln does not get the product, and the brand needs products between now and when its EVs arrive.”

Brinley said the decision to import the Nautilus does not suggest a fundamental shift for future Lincolns for the U.S. market, noting the company continues to produce most of its vehicles for the U.S. market in North America.

“Lincoln is a global brand that is growing,” a Lincoln spokeswoman said in an email. “As we execute our U.S. manufacturing growth plans, we think it makes sense to centralize Nautilus production in China for both markets (since we already produce Nautilus in China for the local market) which allows us to gain manufacturing efficiencies and retool our Oakville facility to get ready to build our next generation EVs.”

The news comes a week after Ford released a report that said it was the top automaker in terms of vehicles assembled and hourly autoworkers employed in America as well as vehicles exported from America to other countries.

The new Nautilus will feature a redesigned exterior and new interior that includes nearly door-to-door screens for occupants in the front seats. It also offers a new feature called “Lincoln Rejuvenate.”

Ford describes Lincoln Rejuvenate as a “multisensory, in-cabin experience including lighting and digital scenting.” Lincoln revealed a concept vehicle called the Star last year that included such features, but the Nautilus is the first production car for the U.S. to be built with the unique characteristics. The automaker has offered vehicles with the feature in China.

“Lincoln Rejuvenate, a stationary experience, orchestrates specially curated sensory experiences tied to lighting, screen visuals, personal preferences such as seating position and massage options — allowing clients to recharge,” the company said in a release for the vehicle’s reveal Monday night.

Scent cartridges to fill the vehicle’s cabin are housed in the center armrest. The company said scents that come with the package include:

“Mystic Forest, an earthy blend with woody, rich notes of patchouli.””Ozonic Azure, a crisp blend of aromatic patchouli and traces of bright violet.””Violet Cashmere, exotic white florals and trusted violet that are crisp and refined as fresh linen.”

The vehicle will be powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine as well as a hybrid powertrain. The car is expected to go on sale in early 2024, with starting prices between $51,810 and $75,860.

The redesigned Nautilus and “Lincoln Rejuvenate” come as the once-prominent American luxury brand attempts to rejuvenate itself.

Sales of Lincoln vehicles were down by 4% last year in the U.S. to fewer than 83,500 vehicles. That’s down from a recent peak of more than 112,200 in 2019.

DETROIT — Ford Motor wants to make “living in a van down by the river” a bit more comfortable than late comedian Chris Farley — a cousin of the automaker’s CEO — made it out to be in a well-known “Saturday Night Live” sketch from the early 1990s.

The Detroit automaker on Thursday revealed the 2023 Ford Transit Trail Van, a new lifted model of its full-size van equipped with all-wheel-drive and more durable, off-road parts for outdoor enthusiasts. It also comes ready for customization, also known as “upfitting,” to turn the vehicle into a living or sleeping space.

Ford is attempting to cash in on the boom in sales of recreational trailers and vehicles, or RVs, during the coronavirus pandemic. Ford already is one of the main companies that provides trucks and vans to upfitters to make them into RVs. It also has launched a slew of off-road vehicles in recent years such as the Ford Bronco SUVs and F-150 Tremor pickup.

“We will have more demand than supply, based on all the numbers we see,” Ted Cannis, CEO of the automaker’s Ford Pro commercial vehicle business, told CNBC.

Ford is touting the Transit Trail Van as a gateway into “van life,” a community of travelers who fully or partially live in their vehicles. Photos released Thursday by the automaker show the vehicle immersed in a scenic setting, including a couple who appear to be living by a river.

The phrase “living in a van down by the river” was made famous by Chris Farley during a 1993 “Saturday Night Live” sketch where he played Matt Foley, a divorced motivational speaker who lives in a van down by the river. He tries to use his situation to motivate two children — played by David Spade and Christina Applegate — to say no to smoking marijuana.

For a time, Ford CEO Jim Farley had a reference to the bit — and his late cousin — in his Twitter profile: “Mustang and racing fan. Happen to love white vans …  preferably down by the river.” The auto executive has paid other tributes to his cousin on the social media platform through the use of memes and other media.

Cannis said there’s no connection between the vehicle and “SNL” sketch. However, he said Jim Farley asked about getting into this segment after a trip to California in 2020.

“He’s very enamored with the space, but it’s really just coincidence in this case,” Cannis said.

The 2023 Ford Transit Trail Van will go on sale in the spring, starting at $65,975. That’s about $15,000 more than a base passenger Transit van. The vehicle will be available in three cargo van configurations, including medium- and high-roof models and a high-roof, extended-length version.

The van will be produced at Ford’s Kansas City Assembly Plant in Missouri. The vehicle does not come standard with a living or sleeping space, but Transit Trail owners will have access to Ford Pro’s network of upfitters and interior installers.

The vehicle will be sold to consumers as well as commercial upfitters, which Cannis says can spend tens of thousands of dollars customizing such vehicles.

Disclosure: NBCUniversal is the parent company of CNBC and NBC, which airs “Saturday Night Live.”