Ford is axing one of its best-selling models after 26 years. 

The Blue Oval automaker will stop production of the Escape crossover SUV, with final models rolling off dealership lots in 2026. 

The Escape — initially a $20,000 SUV with boxy shape and a skirt of plastic cladding — launched in 2000 and became an instant hit. 

“The Escape was a trailblazer in the rapidly expanding compact crossover market that dominates today,” Robby DeGraff from automotive analysts AutoPacific mentioned to the Daily Mail.

Through the years, design refreshes sanded down the boxy shape and replaced the ruggedness with more refined design.. 

The latest versions come with either a 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine, a 2-liter EcoBoost, a 2.5-liter hybrid, or a 2.5-liter plug-in hybrid.

However, this vehicle, along with its upscale counterpart, the Lincoln Corsair, is being phased out to make room on the carmaker’s Louisville, Kentucky production line for Ford’s upcoming EV model.

Ford recently evoked the historical significance of its Model T—the company’s premier mass-production vehicle—during the reveal of its latest battery technology, which utilizes lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry.

The current Escape received powertrain inspiration from one of four trims, including two gas and two hybrid engines

Ford says the new battery will power multiple cars, including a yet-to-be-named four-door pickup truck with a $30,000 base price. 

The company believes the mid-size truck will have Mustang-beating 0- to 60 mph speed and a load of interior cargo space. 

‘Ford clearing house of aging gas vehicles for these new entry-level, affordable EVs atop their much simpler and modern EV platform is an interesting move,’ DeGraff said. 

‘The Escape still sells well and its volumes will likely always surpass a new EV’s.’ 

That same platform is expected to power a lineup of other Ford vehicles, including a three-row SUV, a larger pickup, and a crossover. 

Right now, Ford only produces two consumer EVs: the Mustang Mach-E and the F-150 Lightning. 

Both cars use lithium ion chemistries to get electric power. Most of the critical minerals inside those batteries come from mines in China. 

 In June, Ford had to pause some US-based factory production as Chinese officials stopped selling necessary magnets to American automakers. 

Ford has two consumer EVs, including the full-size F-150 Lightning pickup

Ford’s Escape has been a popular best-seller – but the company is nixing the vehicle when the crossover segment continues to boom

Ford’s CEO, Jim Farley, revealed the company’s new EV platform – he called it a ‘Model T moment’

Ford’s latest battery tech is cheaper to build, improves fire safety, has a longer lifespan, and offers more environmentally-friendly mining practices. 

But, most importantly, many of the required parts will have American supplies.  

GM is also developing similar battery technologies.

The new EV pickup truck, which might revive the Ranchero nameplate from the 50s through 70s, is expected to reach driveways in 2027.  

But the decision to axe the Escape is a bit of a surprise, given the state of the current American auto customer. 

Drivers across the US cannot quit the crossover segment. Last year, the country’s best-selling non-pickup was Toyota’s RAV4, a direct competitor to the Escape. 

And Ford drivers were choosing the Escape, with the SUV getting some impressive sales numbers. 

In the last quarter, Ford reported selling 45,232 units of the vehicle, a 10.8 percent jump from the same period last year.

Ford’s remaining crossover SUV, the Bronco Sport, sold 39,075 units in the US during the same quarter. 

The company didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.