At Ford, they’re talking about a new ‘Model T moment’. That’s how important they estimate the venue of the ‘Universal EV Platform’ linked with a new production system that reduces weight, parts, and cost.
The American car manufacturer is preparing to launch a family of affordable electric vehicles based on this new Ford Universal EV Platform. The first vehicle based on the platform will be the promised midsize four-door electric pickup. Ford’s new EV pickup will start at around $30,000 and will be assembled at its Louisville Assembly Plant.
Radical approach
“We took a radical approach to a very hard challenge: Create affordable electric vehicles that delight customers in every way that matters, design, innovation, flexibility, space, driving pleasure, and cost of ownership,” Ford’s CEO Jim Farley said during the announcing event in Kentucky.
According to Farley, Ford is done with the “good college tries” from other Detroit automakers to make affordable EVs, promising the company’s new platform will change the game by lowering costs and optimizing efficiency.
Ford is the first automaker to build prismatic LFP batteries in the US, which will not only cut costs but also free up interior space.
Farley explained that the new platform reduces parts by 20% compared to the average vehicle. It also has 25% fewer fasteners, 40% fewer workstations dock-to-dock in the plant, and 15% faster assembly time. It’s significantly more efficient than the first-gen Ford EVs. The wiring harness alone in the new midsize truck will be 4,000 feet shorter and 10 kg lighter. The platform is expected to underpin as many as eight models, starting with the pickup “that has more interior space than a Toyota RAV4, plus a front trunk and a truck bed for cargo”.
Perhaps, most importantly, Ford’s leader explained that it will help reduce costs for owners. Farley claimed that the new Ford Universal EV platform will enable “lower cost of ownership over five years than a three-year-old used Tesla Model Y.”
“There are no guarantees with this project,” he added. “We’re doing so many new things, I can’t tell you with 100% certainty this will all go just right. This is a bet; there is risk.”
Inspired by the Model T
Doug Field, Ford’s Chief EV, digital, and design officer, said the company took inspiration from the Model T to make it more than just a utility vehicle. Ford promises that the new electric pickup will also be fun to drive, with a targeted 0 to 60 mph time as fast as the Mustang EcoBoost, and even more downforce.
“We transformed the traditional assembly line into a tree with three main branches. We’ll assemble the front and rear of the vehicle on separate lines. The third branch is the vehicle’s structural battery, which we’ll pre-assemble with seats, consoles, and carpeting. These three branches come together at the end, a process that revolutionizes the factory and simplifies work for our employees.”
The company will release additional information for the midsize electric pickup soon, including a reveal date, final prices, range, battery sizes, and charge times. Ford said it’s aiming for a starting price of around $30,000, with customer deliveries set to begin in 2027. The company invested around $5 billion into its Louisville Assembly Complex, creating nearly 4,000 jobs to deliver its new EV pickup and LFP batteries.
In the Louisville assembly plant, Ford plans to retain 2,200 jobs. The plant currently employs about 2,800 people, a spokesperson indicated, and the other 600 will either retire or be transferred to another location.
