Ford claims its new midsize EV pickup will have a lower cost of ownership than a Tesla Model Y and more space than a Toyota RAV4. Starting at $30,000, it will also cost about the same as the RAV4. Here’s how the new Ford EV Universal Platform will make it happen.
Ford reveals new affordable Universal EV platform
Ford’s big bet is about to pay off. The company is preparing to launch a family of affordable electric vehicles based on the 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.
Based on the new Ford Universal EV Platform, it will also have more passenger space than the latest Toyota RAV4.
“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 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 worstations dock-to-dock in the plant, and 15% faster assembly time.
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.”
How so? For one, 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 LFP batteries lie flat under the floor, which improves handling, creates a quiet ride, and “provides a surprising amount of interior space,” Ford said. In fact, it will have more passenger room than the latest Toyota RAV4. And that’s not even including the added Frunk and truck bed.
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.
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.
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