Even if EVs are hated by the Trump administration: Ford is betting on them anyway and investing about 5 billion US dollars and creating or securing almost 4,000 jobs at the Louisville Assembly Plant and the BlueOval Battery Park Michigan to deliver a new pickup and produce advanced prismatic LFP batteries. When you read the press release more closely, you can indeed discover parallels to the start-up Slate and its 25,000-dollar pickup.
The core is the "Ford Universal EV Platform": This new platform enables the production of a family of affordable vehicles on a large scale for customers – electric, fun-oriented, and digitally advanced with over-the-air updates that continuously improve the vehicle. The first will be a mid-size, four-door electric pickup with a targeted entry price of about 30,000 US dollars, which will be assembled in Louisville and will reach customers in 2027. It is supposed to accelerate as fast as a Mustang EcoBoost and offer more passenger space than the current Toyota RAV4 – with frunk and cargo bed! Ford CEO Farley promises:
"You can lock your surfboards or other gear in this cargo bed – no roof rack or trailer hitch required."
And they are proud. The press release states: "The Ford Universal EV Platform and Ford Universal EV Production System introduced (on 11.8.2025) come from a team that combines the discipline, expertise, and scale of a company with 122 years of experience with the speed, innovation, and 'first principles' thinking of a California-based skunkworks team for electric vehicle hardware and software."
The new midsize pickup is set to launch as early as 2027
The result: a simple, efficient, flexible ecosystem for delivering a family of affordable, electric, software-defined vehicles – the first being a midsize, four-door electric pickup, assembled by Ford at the Louisville Assembly Plant for the US and export market. Production is planned to start in 2027. Jim Farley, President and CEO of Ford, stated:
"We took a radical approach to a very difficult challenge: creating affordable vehicles that excite customers in every relevant way – design, innovation, flexibility, space, driving pleasure, and operating costs – employing American labor."
And he takes a swipe at his peers in the industry:
"We've all seen too many 'good college tries' from Detroit car manufacturers attempting to build affordable
vehicles that end up leading to shuttered plants, layoffs, and uncertainty. So, this had to be a strong, sustainable, and profitable business. From day one, we knew there was no incremental path to success. We empowered a small skunkworks team three time zones away from Detroit. We ditched the concept of the assembly line and designed a better one. And we found a way to be the first car manufacturer to produce prismatic LFP batteries in the USA."
Much fewer parts – much simpler production
The platform reduces parts by 20% compared to a typical vehicle, with 25% fewer fasteners, 40% fewer workstations from dock to dock in the plant, and 15% faster assembly time. Lower operating costs over five years than a three-year-old used Tesla Model Y. The wiring harness in the new midsize truck will be more than 1.3 kilometers shorter and 10 kilograms lighter than in the first-generation Ford electric SUV.
At Ford, the battery will also become a structural part of the body
Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) prismatic batteries also enable space and weight savings while offering cost reductions and durability for customers. The cobalt- and nickel-free LFP battery pack of the platform is a structural subframe element that also serves as the vehicle floor. This low center of gravity improves handling, ensures a quiet cabin, and provides surprisingly ample interior space.
Emotions remain important – and Ford sorely needs them
But it's not just about space and utility. Ford builds "passionate vehicles" – and this low-center-of-gravity electric vehicle platform, thanks to the battery, instant torque from electric motors, and careful chassis tuning, will make it enjoyable to drive. The midsize truck will have a targeted 0-60 time that is as fast as a Mustang EcoBoost, with more downforce.
"We were inspired by the Model T – the universal car that changed the world," said Doug Field, Chief EV, Digital and Design Officer of Ford, adding:
"We've assembled a truly brilliant collection of minds from across Ford and set them free to find new solutions to old problems. We applied first-principles engineering and explored the physical limits to combine driving pleasure and affordability. Our new zonal electrical architecture opens up capabilities the industry has never seen. This is not a stripped-down, old-fashioned vehicle."
He can't refrain from
a jab at Slate:
"I don't think new EV startups can keep up with our Ford engineers and manufacturing teams when it comes to making this a reality. New ideas are easy. But innovation means implementing ideas in a way that millions can access."
But patience is still needed: Further specifications for the midsize electric truck – including launch date, entry price, EPA-estimated battery range, battery sizes, and charging times – will be announced later.
The Ford Universal EV Production System: Assembly tree instead of assembly line
The Ford team also placed great emphasis on manufacturing efficiency, transforming the traditional assembly line into an "assembly tree." Instead of one long conveyor, three subassemblies run simultaneously on their own lines and are then joined together.
And naturally, Ford is also relying on "gigacasting": Large single-piece aluminum casting components replace dozens of smaller parts, allowing the front and rear parts of the vehicle to be assembled separately. These front and rear modules are then combined with the third subassembly, the structural battery, which is independently assembled with seats, consoles, and carpet to form the vehicle.
The parts groups are transported on the assembly tree to final assembly in a kit. This kit contains all the fasteners, scanners, and electric tools needed for the job – and in the correct orientation for use. The Ford Universal EV Production System aims to significantly improve ergonomics for employees by reducing turning, gripping, and bending operations, enabling them to focus on their work.
Assembly could be up to 40% faster
By integrating the Ford Universal EV Production System and platform, according to Ford, the assembly of the midsize electric truck could be up to 40% faster than with the current vehicles at the Louisville Assembly Plant. Part of this time will be reinvested into internal manufacturing and automation to improve quality and cost, ultimately resulting in a net speed increase of 15%.
"We put our employees at the center and redesigned the plant from the ground up," said Bryce Currie, Vice President Americas Manufacturing of Ford. He adds:
"We live continuous improvement, but sometimes it takes a big leap forward. We anticipate ergonomic breakthroughs and reduction in complexity – through the elimination of parts, connectors, and cables – that will significantly impact quality and cost."
Continued investments
in American manufacturing
Ford is continuing its long tradition of investments in US vehicle assembly and plans to invest nearly 2 billion US dollars in the Louisville Assembly Plant to assemble the midsize electric truck and secure 2,200 hourly jobs. The project is supported by an incentive offer from the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority.
"Today, Ford and Team Kentucky are leading the world into the future of automotive production with an investment of nearly 2 billion US dollars to transform the Louisville Assembly Plant, securing 2,200 jobs for Kentuckians," said Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. He is excited:
"This announcement is not only one of the largest investments in our state, it also strengthens Kentucky's position at the center of EV innovation and secures the Louisville Assembly Plant as a vital part of Ford's future. Thank you to Ford's leadership for their confidence in Kentucky and our workforce. Ford and Kentucky have been a strong team for over 100 years, and this partnership has never been stronger than it is today."
The Louisville Assembly Plant will be expanded by about 4,830 square meters to streamline material flow. Digital infrastructure upgrades will give the Louisville Assembly Plant the fastest network with the most access points of any Ford plant worldwide and allow for more quality scans.
Ford's investment in the Louisville Assembly Plant is in addition to the previously announced 3 billion US dollar investment in the BlueOval Battery Park Michigan, where the prismatic LFP batteries for the midsize electric truck will be built starting next year. Together, the investments amount to about 5 billion US dollars, and between the two plants, Ford expects to create or secure nearly 4,000 direct jobs while strengthening the domestic supply chain with dozens of new, US-based suppliers.
It will be interesting to see to what extent the new platform will also be transferred to Ford of Europe. It would definitely make sense!
What does this mean?
Ford is attempting a breakthrough by turning its once-invented assembly line production upside down with a new EV platform. They are now building front, middle, and rear sections, where the individual components are much more accessible, and then putting the three-piece puzzle together. It will be exciting to see. Ford is betting 5 billion dollars on this “wager.” It
