Ford Fathom Electric Pickup Heads to Las Vegas Ahead of 2027 Launch

Ford is stepping up the public preview of its upcoming Fathom electric pickup, with camouflaged prototypes recently spotted in Las Vegas as the automaker prepares to open preorders for its first vehicle based on a new electric vehicle platform.

Ford CEO Jim Farley shared photos and video of Fathom prototypes in Las Vegas, where the trucks were undergoing hot-weather testing. The vehicles remained heavily camouflaged but carried their Fathom name on the doors along with QR codes and signs indicating that preorders will begin in early 2027 and the camouflage will come off later that year.

Ford has not yet fully unveiled the Fathom. Preorders are scheduled to open in early January, around the same time the automaker is expected to provide a more complete look at the new electric pickup.

The Fathom is particularly significant for Ford because it will be the first production model built on the company’s Universal Electric Vehicle, or UEV, platform.

A $29,945 electric pickup

Ford announced last month that the Fathom will start at $29,945, including destination charges.

The new model is expected to enter production in 2027 at Ford’s Louisville Assembly Plant in Kentucky following a substantial retooling of the facility. Ford plans to use the UEV architecture for additional models in the coming years, according to Ford Authority.

The Fathom will be offered with different battery configurations. Ford is targeting roughly 300 miles of range for the extended-range version, while the lower-priced standard-range model will not receive the larger battery needed to achieve that figure.

That gives the Fathom a potentially unusual position in the electric pickup market. Its starting price puts it well below many of the current electric trucks available in the U.S., while the extended-range version is being developed with significantly more driving range.

Built around connected navigation

Ford is also building several software features into the Fathom.

The pickup will use intelligent EV routing that incorporates battery preconditioning, while Apple Maps will be integrated into the vehicle’s navigation system. Ford has said some navigation functions will be available at no additional cost.

Apple Maps data will also play a role in Ford’s development of its next-generation BlueCruise hands-free highway driving system. The automaker plans to use road-level information from Apple Maps to help provide a more continuous hands-free driving experience from highway on-ramp to off-ramp.

The UEV platform will support both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for drivers who prefer those systems.

More UEV models are coming

The Fathom is intended to be the first of several vehicles built around Ford’s UEV architecture.

Ford has been previewing the pickup’s technology and features ahead of its formal debut, including through promotional campaigns and prototype testing. The latest Las Vegas appearance provides another look at the truck’s development but leaves most of its final exterior design concealed.

The company expects the Fathom to enter production in 2027, with Louisville Assembly serving as the launch site after the plant undergoes its retooling.

For Ford, the Fathom represents more than another electric pickup. Its relatively low starting price and new platform make it an important test of whether the automaker can bring a more affordable EV to the U.S. market while creating an architecture that can support additional models in the future.

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