Analysis: Ford's "Model T" Moment

image: Ford

To get the obvious spoiler alert out of the way: Ford did not show what their new Model T-inspired affordable EV will look like (although they ran a video of the vehicle being shown to six Ford factory employees). But they did share a fair amount of thought-provoking details worth sharing...

• The Ford Universal EV Platform will launch in 2027 with a five-passenger midsize pickup, starting at $30,000; note that earlier stories suggested a $25,000 target

• The graphic here suggests the family could include two- and three-row SUVs, a small commercial van, and a hatchback

• 0-60 in about the same time as a Mustang Ecoboost (~4.5-5sec)

• A new zonal architecture (similar to what Tesla uses and what Rivian installed last year in the R1) will add technological capability (including BlueCruise) and remove 3/4 of a mile and 22lbs of wiring

• Tesla-style gigacastings called "unicastings"

• No actual numbers around range or charging were shared, but the new platform will use lower-cost lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, and Ford will be the first automaker to build those in America

• A new manufacturing process moves from a single assembly line to a three-branch 'tree' with three sub-assemblies moving simultaneously, intended to reduce "twisting, reaching and bending" and improve worker safety

• They are targeting to reduce assembly time 40% vs the current portfolio of vehicles at Louisville, but note "some of that time will be reinvested into insourcing and automation to improve quality and cost, ultimately netting a 15% speed improvement"

• Other notable metrics: 20% fewer parts versus a typical vehicle, with 25% fewer fasteners and 40% fewer workstations dock-to-dock

• CEO Jim Farley acknowledges this is a $2B bet, and that there is some risk involved

image: Ford

There's more in the ~45-minute video, but this seems like a positive step forward, especially with the new zonal architecture and manufacturing process innovations. Several things mentioned up front but not detailed include complexity and mass reduction, so there's definitely more of a story. It's also worth noting the $30,000 price tag is probably the price of a comparable equipped Slate Truck; Farley did say they weren't relying on a stripped-out vehicle to get the price down.

With two years to go until launch, I personally think Ford could have shown a concept and a nameplate to start to build momentum, but maybe we'll see something live in Los Angeles or CES or Detroit...

This now puts additional pressure on two key American brands:•

• The updated Chevy Bolt (with a minor design facelift and improved EV tech, which could improve range and/or charge speed) is due early next year--but remember it's based on a nearly ten-year-old platform

• Former Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares had promised a $25,000 Jeep EV next year (and that could have been after a $7,500 tax credit)--but the company has been quiet on this particular project

https://lnkd.in/d4MdeekN

#ford #modelt #ev #skunkworks #pickup