Ford has announced it will invest approximately USD5 billion (about RM21.2 billion) in the United States to enhance its competitiveness in the electric vehicle (EV) space. This will see it create nearly 4,000 jobs across its Louisville Assembly Plant and BlueOval Battery Pack Michigan facilities to deliver a new pick-up truck as well as produce prismatic lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries.
All this is centred around the Ford Universal EV Platform, which will underpin a variety of EVs that the company says will be affordable, fun to drive and digitally advanced with over-the-air (OTA) updates.
Ford president and CEO Jim Farley says the new platform reduces the number of parts required by 20% versus a typical vehicle, which sees 25% fewer fasteners, 40% fewer workstations dock-to-dock in the plant and 15% faster assembly time. He also claimed lower cost of ownership over five years compared to a three-year-old used Tesla Model Y.
The first model to be built on the Ford Universal EV Platform will be a yet-unnamed, midsize, four-door pick-up truck that is scheduled for 2027. This will have a target price of around USD30,000 (RM127k) and use a wiring harness that is 10 kg lighter as a result of 1.3 km less wiring compared to the one found in the company’s first-generation electric SUV (likely referring to the Mustang Mach-E).
Ford also says the use of LFP prismatic batteries enable space and weight savings, with the battery pack being a structural sub-assembly that also serves as the vehicle’s floor for improved handling, a quieter cabin and promotes interior space (more than a Toyota RAV4, apparently). “You can lock your surfboards or other gear in that bed – no roof rack or trailer hitch racks required,” Farley said, adding that the midsize truck will have a targeted 0-96 km/h (0-60 mph) time equal to a Mustang EcoBoost, with more downforce.
“We took inspiration from the Model T – the universal car that changed the world. We assembled a really brilliant collection of minds across Ford and unleashed them to find new solutions to old problems. We applied first‑principles engineering, pushing to the limits of physics to make it fun to drive and compete on affordability. Our new zonal electric architecture unlocks capabilities the industry has never seen. This isn’t a stripped‑down, old‑school vehicle,” commented Ford chief EV, digital and design officer Doug Field.
A new EV platform is just part of Ford’s big gamble, as the company is also introducing its new Ford Universal EV Production System. Instead of a traditional assembly line where components are added in sequence, Ford believes efficiency can be improved by switching to an “assembly tree.”
The idea is to have the “branches” of the tree being sub-assemblies with their own lines running simultaneously which then join together. As the company explains, large single-piece aluminium uni-castings replace dozens of smaller parts, enabling the front and rear of the vehicle to be assembled separately.
“The front and rear are then combined with the third sub-assembly, the structural battery, which is independently assembled with seats, consoles and carpeting, to form the vehicle. Parts travel down the assembly tree to operators in a kit. Within that kit, all fasteners, scanners and power tools required for the job are included – and in the correct orientation for use,” the company said in its release.
With the new platform and production system in place, assembly of the upcoming midsize electric truck could be up to 40% faster than Louisville Assembly Plant’s current vehicles. Investment into the Louisville Assembly Plant will see it expand by over 52,000 square feet and receive digital infrastructure upgrades to enable the system.
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