Ford Unveils Universal EV Platform and 2027 Midsize Truck
Ford Motor Company introduces the Ford Universal EV Platform and the Ford Universal EV Production System to bring a new family of affordable, high-quality electric vehicles to millions worldwide. A combined global team created both systems by pairing 122 years of Ford discipline, expertise and scale with the speed, innovation and first-principles thinking of a California EV hardware and software skunkworks.
Together, the platform and production system form a simple, efficient and flexible ecosystem for software-defined electric vehicles. Ford will start with a midsize, four-door electric pick-up for US and export markets, assembled at Louisville Assembly Plant, with launch planned for 2027.
“We took a radical approach to a very hard challenge: Create affordable vehicles that delight customers in every way that matters – design, innovation, flexibility, space, driving pleasure, and cost of ownership – and do it with American workers,” said Ford President and CEO Jim Farley.
“We have all lived through far too many ‘good college tries’ by Detroit automakers to make affordable vehicles that end up with idled plants, layoffs and uncertainty. So, this had to be a strong, sustainable and profitable business. From Day 1, we knew there was no incremental path to success. We empowered a tiny skunkworks team three time zones away from Detroit. We tore up the moving assembly line concept and designed a better one. And we found a path to be the first automaker to make prismatic LFP batteries in the US.”
The numbers tell the story. Ford says the platform cuts parts by 20 per cent versus a typical vehicle, uses 25 per cent fewer fasteners, needs 40 per cent fewer workstations dock-to-dock in the plant and enables assembly that runs 15 per cent faster. The company targets a lower five-year cost of ownership than a three-year-old used Tesla Model Y.
In the new midsize truck, the wiring harness will be more than 4,000 feet (1.3 kilometres) shorter and 10 kilograms lighter than the one in Ford’s first-generation electric SUV. Prismatic lithium iron phosphate batteries enable further space and weight savings, while improving durability and reducing cost for EV customers. The cobalt-free, nickel-free LFP pack acts as a structural sub-assembly and doubles as the vehicle floor. This low centre of gravity improves handling, creates a quiet cabin and unlocks generous interior space.
Ford forecasts more passenger room than the latest Toyota RAV4, even before counting the frunk and the truck bed. Owners will be able to lock surfboards or other gear in the bed, removing the need for a roof rack or hitch carrier.
The platform focuses on driving enjoyment as well as space and utility. The low centre of gravity from the structural battery, instant torque from electric motors and obsessive chassis tuning aim to make the EV fun to drive. Ford targets a 0-60 time as quick as a Mustang EcoBoost, with added downforce.
“We took inspiration from the Model T – the universal car that changed the world,” said Doug Field, Ford's chief EV, digital and design officer. “We assembled a 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.”
Ford will share additional specifications for the midsize electric truck later, including reveal timing, starting price, EPA-estimated range, battery sizes and charge times.
On the factory floor, the Ford Universal EV Production System reimagines the traditional line as an assembly tree. Instead of one long conveyor, three sub-assemblies move on their lines at the same time, then join together. Large single-piece aluminium unicastings replace dozens of smaller parts so that teams can assemble the front and rear separately. They then combine those sections with the third sub-assembly, the structural battery, which is independently built with seats, consoles and carpeting to create the vehicle.
Parts travel down the assembly tree to operators as complete kits. Each kit includes all fasteners, scanners and power tools required for the task, set in the correct orientation for immediate use. This production system improves ergonomics by reducing twisting, reaching and bending, so employees can focus on quality work.
Thanks to the tight integration between the Ford Universal EV Platform and Production System, assembly of the midsize electric truck could run up to 40 per cent faster than the Louisville Assembly Plant’s current vehicles. Ford will reinvest part of that time in insourcing and automation to improve quality and cost, aiming to net a 15 per cent speed gain.
“We put our employees at the centre and re-created the factory from scratch,” said Bryce Currie, Ford vice president, Americas Manufacturing. “We live and breathe continuous improvement, but sometimes you need a dramatic leap forward. We expect ergonomic breakthroughs and complexity reduction – through elimination of parts, connectors and wire – will flow through to significant quality and cost wins.”
Ford will build on its legacy of US vehicle assembly by investing nearly $2 billion in the Louisville Assembly Plant to produce the midsize electric truck, securing 2,200 hourly jobs. The Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority has offered incentives to support the project. “Today, Ford and Team Kentucky are introducing the world to the future of automotive production with nearly $2 billion being invested to transform the Louisville Assembly Plant, which will also secure 2,200 jobs for Kentuckians,” said Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.
“This announcement not only represents one of the largest investments on record in our state, it also boosts Kentucky’s position at the centre of EV-related innovation and solidifies Louisville Assembly Plant as an important part of Ford’s future. Thanks to Ford’s leaders for their continued faith in Kentucky and our incredible workforce. Ford and Kentucky have been a tremendous team for more than 100 years, and that partnership has never been stronger than it is today.”
Louisville Assembly Plant will expand by 52,000 square feet to move material more efficiently. Digital infrastructure upgrades will give the plant Ford’s fastest network with the most access points, enabling more quality scans and supporting advanced EV manufacturing.
This Louisville investment sits alongside Ford’s previously announced $3 billion for BlueOval Battery Park in Michigan, which will build prismatic LFP batteries for the midsize electric truck starting next year. Together, the projects total about $5 billion. Across both plants, Ford expects to create or secure nearly 4,000 direct jobs while strengthening the domestic EV supply chain with dozens of new US-based suppliers.