Ford CEO shares photos of $30,000 EV pickup prototypes

In a report from Businessinsider, Ford CEO Jim Farley shared four photos from inside the automaker's rejigged Louisville assembly plant that offer a rare glimpse at prototypes for a midsize electric pickup expected to start at $30,000. The images highlight work on Ford's Universal Electric Vehicle project, a new platform and manufacturing system aimed at underpinning a family of smaller, lower-cost EVs.

Farley posted the photos of engineers refining prototypes and aerodynamics, and the company confirmed plans to launch the vehicle in the US in 2027. Farley and Ford described a sweeping manufacturing rethink behind the project, including a three-pronged "assembly tree" that builds the front, rear, and battery underbody in parallel before joining them, plus a unicasting system that reduces part counts.

Ford says the redesigned system uses about 25% fewer fasteners and roughly half as many cooling hoses and connections, which the company has linked to potential lower vehicle prices.

United States, Louisville