On August 11, 2025, local time, U.S. automotive giant Ford Motor Company announced the launch of its all-new Ford Universal Electric Vehicle Platform and the first product based on this platform—a midsize four-door electric pickup truck, with a target starting price of approximately $30,000. Concurrently, Ford announced that it will invest about $5 billion in the United States, creating or securing nearly 4,000 jobs at the Louisville Assembly Plant and the BlueOval Battery Park in Michigan to produce the new pickup truck and advanced prismatic LFP batteries.
Building on its strong tradition of investing in U.S. automotive assembly, Ford plans to invest nearly $2 billion in the Louisville Assembly Plant to assemble midsize electric trucks, securing 2,200 jobs per hour. The project is supported by incentives from the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear stated: "Today, Ford and the Kentucky team are introducing the future of automobile production to the world, with an investment of nearly $2 billion to transform the Louisville Assembly Plant, which will also provide 2,200 jobs for Kentuckians. This announcement not only represents one of the largest investments in our state’s history but also elevates Kentucky’s position as a hub for EV-related innovation and solidifies the Louisville Assembly Plant as a critical part of Ford’s future. Thank you to Ford’s leadership for their continued trust in Kentucky and our incredible workforce. For over 100 years, Ford and Kentucky have been a great team, and this partnership has never been stronger than it is today."
Additionally, the Louisville Assembly Plant will be expanded by 52,000 square feet to enable more efficient material transportation. Digital infrastructure upgrades will make it the Ford plant with the fastest network and the most access points globally, enabling higher-quality scanning.
Ford’s investment in the Louisville Assembly Plant complements its previously announced $3 billion investment in the BlueOval Battery Park in Michigan, which will begin producing prismatic lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries for midsize electric trucks starting next year.
With a total investment of approximately $5 billion, Ford expects to create or secure nearly 4,000 direct jobs across the two facilities while strengthening the domestic supply chain through dozens of new U.S. suppliers.
The all-new Ford Universal Electric Vehicle Platform and Ford Universal Electric Vehicle Production System were developed by a team that combined the discipline, expertise, and scale of a 122-year-old company with the speed, innovation, and first-principles thinking of California-based EV hardware and software skunkworks teams.
The result is a simple, efficient, and flexible ecosystem capable of delivering a range of affordable electric software-defined vehicles—the first of which is a midsize four-door electric pickup truck, to be assembled at Ford’s Louisville Assembly Plant for U.S. and export markets. It is scheduled to launch in 2027.
Jim Farley, President and CEO of Ford, said: "We’ve taken a radical approach to a very tough challenge: creating affordable vehicles that delight customers in every important way—design, innovation, flexibility, space, driving fun, and cost of ownership—and doing it with American workers."
Farley noted that the numbers speak for themselves. Compared to conventional vehicles, the platform reduces parts by 20%, fasteners by 25%, dock-to-dock workstations in the factory by 40%, and assembly time by 15%. The five-year ownership cost will be lower than that of a three-year-old Tesla Model Y.
Take the wiring harness of the new midsize truck, for example; it will be over 4,000 feet (1.3 kilometers) shorter and 10 kilograms lighter than that used in Ford’s first-generation electric SUVs.
Prismatic lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries also save space and weight while offering customers cost reductions and durability. The platform’s cobalt-free and nickel-free LFP battery pack is a structural subcomponent that also serves as the vehicle’s floor. This low center of gravity improves handling, creates a quiet cabin, and provides surprising interior space.
The new midsize truck is expected to offer more passenger space than the latest Toyota RAV4, even before including the trunk and truck bed. Users can lock surfboards or other gear in the bed—no roof rack or hitch mount required.
But it’s not just about space and utility. Ford builds products with passion—and this EV platform, with its low battery center of gravity, the instant torque of electric motors, and fascinating chassis engineering, will make driving fun. The midsize truck targets 0-60 acceleration as fast as the Mustang EcoBoost, with greater downforce.
"We drew inspiration from the Model T—a universal car that changed the world," said Doug Field, Ford’s Chief EV, Digital, and Design Officer. "We brought together an incredibly talented group at Ford and unleashed them to find new solutions to old problems. We applied first-principles engineering to push the limits of physics, making driving and competing fun. Our new zonal electrical architecture unlocks capabilities the industry has never seen. This is not a stripped-down version of an old vehicle."
Additional specifications for the midsize electric truck—including launch date, starting price, EPA-estimated battery range, battery size, and charging time—will be announced at a later date.
Large single-piece aluminum castings replace dozens of smaller parts, allowing the front and rear of the vehicle to be assembled separately.
The front and rear are then combined with a third subcomponent—the structural battery—which is assembled independently with seats, consoles, and carpet to form the vehicle.
Parts are delivered to operators in kits along the assembly tree. Each kit includes all necessary fasteners, scanners, and power tools for the task, arranged in the correct orientation.
The Ford Universal Electric Vehicle Production System significantly improves employee ergonomics by reducing twisting, reaching, and bending, allowing them to focus on the task at hand.
Thanks to the integration between the production system and the platform, the midsize electric truck may be assembled 40% faster than current vehicles at the Louisville Assembly Plant. Some of this time will be reinvested in in-sourcing and automation to enhance quality and cost, ultimately achieving a 15% speed improvement.
"We rebuilt the plant from the ground up with employees at the center," said Bryce Currie, Vice President of Ford Manufacturing, The Americas. "We live and breathe continuous improvement, but sometimes you need a giant leap. We expect ergonomic breakthroughs and reduced complexity—by eliminating parts, connectors, and wires—will deliver significant quality and cost wins."
(Reprinted from China Grid https://news.eccn.com)