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The first vehicle that will be built on the low - cost EV platform Ford ’s beendeveloping in secretwill be a mid - size cartridge due out in 2027 , the auto manufacturer announced Wednesday break of day .
The word comes as part of amuch large rewritingof Ford ’s electrification plan . The society is abandoning a plan to make an all - galvanising three - row SUV , prefer or else to power those forthcoming vehicles with hybrid powertrains . A next - generation full - size electric getaway — the follow - up to the F-150 Lightningcodenamed“T3 ” — is now expected to set up in 2027 , not 2025 . These changes may cost Ford as much as $ 1.9 billion , the party said Wednesday .
The change to Ford ’s plans also fall at a time when many major car maker are curbing their all - galvanising ambitions . General Motors and Hondaabandoneda design to co - grow low-priced electron volt last year . GM itself hasannounceda similar prioritization of hybrid in the cheeseparing - term , and VW of America recentlysaidthat a “ balanced access is the best way . ”
Ford is not the only company set about to drive down the accounting entry - level monetary value of its electron volt . But the decision to progress a pickup truck on the humble - price EV platform sets up Ford to differentiate itself from marketplace - drawing card Tesla , which is focusing more on grow Elon Musk ’s long - promised “ robotaxi ” as well as disinvest - down versions of its Model Y SUV and Model 3 saloon .
CEO Jim Farley first revealed the existence of the “ skunkworks ” team building the low - cost platform inFebruary . It was make in 2022 and is currently headed up by former Tesla exec Alan Clarke , with a main power in Irvine , California . The project got aboostof gift in late 2023 when Ford acquired EV charging startup Auto Motive Power . But the automaker has since filled out the squad of around 300 with dozens of workers from Rivian , Tesla and even around 10 from the recently disband electric / autonomous fomite team inside Apple , as TechCrunchfirst report in June .
Ford says the low - cost pick-me-up truck will “ cater to customers who need more for their money — more range , more utility , more usability . ” The society still plan to use the platform it ’s acquire to power “ multiple vehicle styles — for both retail and commercial-grade customers , ” Ford said Wednesday . The fellowship added that the “ personalized digital experience ” it will establish into these vehicle will help ameliorate Ford ’s “ mix of awkward , profitable revenue over time . ”
Farley told TechCrunch in June that Ford was still deciding whether to take the engineering and provision chain work the skunkworks team had developed and apply it across all the company ’s models , or concenter on a few fomite tie to this specific platform . “ I ca n’t severalise you the outcome of that yet , because we ’re in the thick of it . I will tell you that they ’ve done a keen job , and the overture is distinctly different than our first contemporaries of Cartesian product , ” he say .
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As for the other vehicle Ford shift its plan for , the company says delay the large pickup truck to 2027 will make it potential to “ utilise low - cost shelling applied science ” and take reward of other unspecified “ cost breakthroughs . ” Ford says shifting the three - row S.U.V. to hybrid powertrains will allow the ship’s company to offer “ breakthrough efficiency , performance benefits and emissions reduction versus pure gas vehicles and lead the reach of the fomite on route trips relative to pure electric vehicles . ”
Ford has some reason to think hybrid cut-rate sale might fare intimately over the next few years . Farley tell TechCrunch in June that Ford ’s F-150 sale this twelvemonth have been about 25 % intercrossed powertrain . “ We did not expect that , ” he said . sales event of the company ’s compact getaway truck , the Maverick , have been near to 70 % hybrid in 2024 .
