Ford Aims For Tesla-like Costs With New EV Platform

Ford is aiming for Tesla-like costs with its new electric vehicle platform. The automaker claims to have developed a low-cost EV platform that will debut with a mid-sized electric pickup priced at $30,000 in 2027.

Ford CEO Jim Farley described the new platform as its next  “Model T moment.” Executives say the new production method will slash complexity, cut costs, and pave the way for profitable mass-market electric vehicles. The move comes as Ford is expected to lose $5 billion from EVs and software this year, according to The Verge.

Ford’s New Modular EV Platform

Ford’s upcoming truck will be built at the Louisville Assembly Plant in Kentucky, utilizing an all-new “universal” platform that is adaptable to trucks, vans, and SUVs. The platform is the result of a three-year “skunkworks” project in Silicon Valley, tasked with starting from scratch to reimagine vehicle design and assembly.

This next-generation architecture is software-defined, enabling over-the-air updates, and utilizes lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries for faster charging, greater durability, and lower costs compared to current Ford EVs. Ford claims that the design utilizes 20% fewer parts, 25% fewer fasteners, and 40% fewer workstations compared to traditional builds. A simplified wiring harness will be 4,000 feet shorter and 10 kilograms lighter than the first-generation Mustang Mach-E, cutting production time by roughly 15%.

From Assembly Line to “Assembly Tree”

Ford’s new manufacturing process abandons the century-old single-line method in favor of an “assembly tree” comprising multiple lines that start work in parallel before merging into the final build. This approach reduces plant congestion and speeds up production. The Louisville Assembly Plant will receive significant upgrades to support Ford’s new process, including a major network overhaul and expanded floor space.

With LFP cells costing over 20% less than nickel-cobalt-manganese equivalents, Ford estimates that its low-cost EVs will offer a lower five-year cost of ownership than a three-year-old Tesla Model Y. A prototype of the truck has already been shown to select factory workers, who described it as “revolutionary.”

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