Even though EVs are hated by the Trump administration: Ford is betting on them anyway and is investing about 5 billion US dollars and creating or securing almost 4,000 jobs at the Louisville Assembly Plant and BlueOval Battery Park Michigan to deliver a new pickup and produce advanced prismatic LFP batteries. When you read the press release more closely, you definitely discover parallels to the start-up Slate and its 25,000-dollar pickup.
The core is the "Ford Universal EV Platform": This new platform allows for the production of a family of affordable vehicles on a large scale for customers – electric, fun to drive, and digitally advanced with over-the-air updates that continuously improve the vehicle. The first will be a midsize, four-door electric pickup with a targeted starting price of about 30,000 US dollars, which will be assembled in Louisville and reach customers in 2027. It is supposed to accelerate as quickly as a Mustang EcoBoost and offer more passenger space than the current Toyota RAV4 – with frunk and cargo area! Ford CEO Farley promises:
“You can lock your surfboards or other equipment in this cargo area – no roof rack or trailer hitch required.”
And they are proud. The press release states: “The Ford Universal EV Platform and the Ford Universal EV Production System, introduced on August 11, 2025, come from a team that combines the discipline, expertise, and size 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 start in 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 at Ford’s Louisville Assembly Plant for the US and export market. Production is scheduled 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 aspect – design, innovation, flexibility, space, driving pleasure, and operating costs – and doing so with American labor.”
And he takes on his peers in the industry:
“We have all witnessed too many ‘good college tries’ from Detroit automakers to build affordable
vehicles that ultimately lead to mothballed 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 discarded the concept of the assembly line and designed a better one. And we found a way to become the first automaker to manufacture prismatic LFP batteries in the US.”
Far fewer parts – much simpler production
The platform reduces parts by 20% compared to a typical vehicle, with 25% fewer fasteners, 40% fewer workstation docks at 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 also becomes a load-bearing 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 sub-frame element that also serves as the vehicle floor. This low center of gravity improves handling, ensures a quiet cabin, and offers surprisingly spacious interiors.
Emotions remain important – and Ford desperately 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, immediate torque from electric motors, and careful chassis tuning, will make it pleasurable to drive. The midsize truck will have a targeted 0-60 time as fast as a Mustang EcoBoost, with more downforce.
“We took inspiration from the Model T – the universal car that changed the world,” said Doug Field, Chief EV, Digital and Design Officer at Ford, and he adds:
“We assembled a truly brilliant collection of minds from across Ford and unleashed them to find new solutions to old problems. We applied first-principles engineering and pushed the physical boundaries to combine driving pleasure and affordability. Our new zonal electric architecture opens up capabilities the industry has never seen before. This is not a stripped-down, old-fashioned vehicle.”
And he can’t resist taking a jab at Slate:
“I
don’t think new EV start-ups can keep up with our Ford engineers and manufacturing teams in making this a reality. New ideas are easy. But innovation means implementing ideas so that millions can access them.”
Yet patience is still required: Further specifications for the midsize electric truck – including introduction 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 and transformed the traditional assembly line into an “assembly tree.” Instead of a long conveyor belt, three subassemblies run simultaneously on separate lines and are then combined.
And naturally, Ford also relies on “gigacasting”: Large one-piece aluminum casting components replace dozens of smaller parts, allowing the front and rear sections of the vehicle to be assembled separately. These front and rear sections are then combined with the third subassembly, the structural battery, which is independently assembled with seats, consoles, and carpeting to form the vehicle.
The parts groups are transported on the assembly tree for final assembly in a kit. This kit contains all the fasteners, scanners, and power tools needed for the job – all in the proper alignment for application. The Ford Universal EV Production System is designed to significantly improve ergonomics for employees by reducing twisting, reaching, and bending operations, allowing them to focus on the work.
Assembly could be up to 40% faster
Integrating the Ford Universal EV Production System and platform could result in the assembly of the midsize electric truck being up to 40% faster than current vehicles at the Louisville Assembly Plant, according to Ford. A portion of this time will be reinvested in internal manufacturing and automation to improve quality and costs, 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 of Americas Manufacturing at Ford. And he adds:
“We live continuous improvement, but sometimes it takes a big leap forward. We anticipate ergonomic breakthroughs and the reduction of complexity – by eliminating parts, connectors, and wires – that will have a significant impact on quality and costs.”
Continued investments in American manufacturing
Ford builds on its long tradition of investing in US vehicle assembly and plans to invest nearly 2 billion US dollars to assemble the midsize electric truck and secure 2,200 union jobs at the Louisville Assembly Plant. 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 automobile manufacturing with an investment of nearly 2 billion US dollars to transform the Louisville Assembly Plant, also securing 2,200 jobs for Kentuckians,” said Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. He is pleased:
“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 cements the Louisville Assembly Plant as a vital part of Ford’s future. Thanks to Ford’s leaders for their trust 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 today.”
The Louisville Assembly Plant will be expanded by over 4,830 square meters to make material flow more efficient. Digital infrastructure upgrades will give the Louisville Assembly Plant the fastest network with the most access points of any Ford plant worldwide and enable 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 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 remains to be seen to what extent the new platform will also be transferred to Ford of Europe. It would certainly make sense!
What does it mean?
Ford is attempting a breakthrough by turning the assembly line production it once invented on its head with a new EV platform. Now, they build the front, middle, and rear sections, where they can much better access the individual components, and then put the three-piece puzzle together. It will be interesting to see. Ford is betting 5 billion dollars on this “wager.” It should
