Ford's 'next Model T Moment' Starts With A $30,000 Mid-size Electric Truck

Ford

When Ford told america its upcoming announcement would people the automaker's "next Model T moment," we didn't cognize precisely what to expect, but we did cognize it would beryllium thing electric. Presumably, it would besides beryllium thing affordable, but conscionable really affordable were we talking? Would it beryllium a sedan? Another crossover? A truck? Well, coming is nan large day, and arsenic it turns out, nan uncover of what Ford is calling nan Universal EV Platform and Universal EV Production System intends nan reply will apt beryllium "all of nan above." But nan first conveyance we'll spot is simply a mid-size electrical truck.

According to Ford, nan still-yet-unnamed four-door motortruck will person "a targeted starting value of astir $30,000" and spell connected waste successful 2027. It will besides person much rider abstraction than nan caller Toyota RAV4, not counting nan furniture aliases nan frunk space, and accelerate conscionable arsenic quickly arsenic nan four-cylinder Mustang. That apt intends a sub-five-second 0-60 mph time. Expect it to besides connection a lockable tonneau cover, arsenic well, to support immoderate you flip successful nan furniture safe. It'll besides beryllium built astatine Ford's Louisville Assembly Plant and allegedly connection a little costs of ownership than a Tesla Model Y.

Exact pricing and different specs won't beryllium revealed until a later date, truthful we still don't cognize what benignant of scope this motortruck will have, but we do cognize it will usage lithium robust phosphate batteries that are some nickel and cobalt-free. That should beryllium amended for nan planet, but according to Ford, it's besides amended for manufacturing and ownership, since nan artillery battalion tin beryllium lighter and smaller, freeing up much abstraction for passengers and reducing conveyance weight. Plus, they should beryllium cheaper to build and besides past longer than nan accepted batteries utilized successful EVs. 

Ford

From nan sound of it, nan new Universal EV Platform and Universal EV Production System are really beautiful large steps forward, too. Ford says nan caller level uses 20% less parts compared to a emblematic conveyance and 25% less fasteners, while assembly requires 40% less workstations and tin beryllium completed 15% faster. The wiring harness connected nan caller motortruck will besides beryllium 4,000 feet shorter and 22 pounds lighter than nan 1 recovered successful nan Mach-E. Part of reducing that portion count is Ford's usage of large, single-piece aluminum castings, which eliminates nan request to weld a bunch of smaller parts together and will let Ford to combine nan beforehand and rear of nan motortruck separately.

That process will besides let Ford to build its upcoming motortruck connected 3 different sub-assembly lines alternatively of 1 elephantine one, and according to Ford, nan caller assembly lines besides amended ergonomics for workers. That will let it to build vehicles 40% faster, though Ford says immoderate of that saved clip will beryllium reinvested elsewhere to amended value and trim cost, which will still nett a 15% faster full assembly time. 

It each sounds great, but we're still going to person to spot nan last specs and besides really thrust nan caller motortruck earlier we person immoderate thought really successful (or unsuccessful) Ford's really been here. It's easy to talk a large game, but it's a batch harder to present nan first successful a bid of vehicles that you declare qualifies arsenic your "next Model T moment." After all, retrieve really overmuch Infiniti talked astir really important nan motorboat of nan Infiniti QX50 was, only to motorboat an underwhelming merchandise that grounded to meet nan moment?

Ford

For now, though, we'll let Ford to talk itself up, particularly since this is yet a $5 cardinal finance successful its early that could supply thousands of jobs. In a statement, Ford President and CEO Jim Farley said:

We took a extremist attack to a very difficult challenge: Create affordable vehicles that delight customers successful each measurement that matters – design, innovation, flexibility, space, driving pleasure, and costs of ownership – and do it pinch American workers. We person each lived done acold excessively galore 'good assemblage tries' by Detroit automakers to make affordable vehicles that ends up pinch idled plants, layoffs and uncertainty. So, this had to beryllium a strong, sustainable and profitable business. From Day 1, we knew location was nary incremental way to success. We empowered a mini skunkworks squad 3 clip zones distant from Detroit. We tore up nan moving assembly statement conception and designed a amended one. And we recovered a way to beryllium nan first automaker to make prismatic LFP batteries successful nan U.S."

The LFP batteries, especially, sound for illustration they person a batch of potential, and a $30,000 electrical motortruck would beryllium a large deal, but now it's clip for Ford to really present connected these large promises. Especially nan portion wherever it insists value will improve, since it's been having a hellhole of a clip pinch recalls lately. The Mach-E was a coagulated start, and nan caller motortruck sounds promising, but will it really sell? And what astir nan different vehicles Ford plans to build connected nan caller platform? Hopefully, we astatine slightest get an reply to immoderate of these questions soon.