Prime Highlights
- Ford Motor plans to launch a new electric pickup using advanced 48-volt technology to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
- The company is investing $5 billion to develop next-generation EVs aimed at competing with global players, including Tesla.
Key Facts
- Ford targets a $30,000 small electric pickup by 2027, making EVs more accessible to a wider market.
- The new platform is expected to cut parts by 20% and speed up production, helping lower manufacturing costs.
Background:
Ford Motor plans to launch a new electric pickup with a 48-volt system. The company said the move is part of a $5 billion investment aimed at making electric vehicles more affordable and competitive with traditional gasoline-powered models.
The new system replaces the long-standing 12-volt setup used in most vehicles and instead draws power from the EV’s high-voltage battery. The technology gained attention after Tesla introduced it in its Cybertruck in 2023.
Ford plans to launch its new EV platform with a small electric pickup truck priced around $30,000 by 2027. The vehicle will be built on a Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) platform, which the company believes will significantly cut manufacturing complexity. According to Ford, the new design will reduce parts by 20%, lower the number of fasteners by 25%, and speed up assembly time by 15%.
Company officials said the 48-volt system will make vehicles lighter and reduce wiring, which can improve performance. It can still handle 12-volt functions using advanced control units, so existing systems will continue to work.
Ford CEO Jim Farley called the move a major shift for the company, similar to the impact of the Model T in the early days. He said Ford wants to compete strongly with other EV makers as well as fast-growing Chinese companies.
The announcement comes as EV demand in the United States has slowed after changes in government incentives. Even so, Ford said it will continue to invest in electric vehicles and focus on lowering costs.
With new methods like gigacasting and simpler production processes, the company aims to make EVs more common in the coming years.