Ford has been teasing what it’s calling a new “Model T moment” over the past few days, hinting at a new model that could change the automotive industry for decades to come.
CEO Jim Farley announced that time has come.
New EV Pickup Launch
Ford will be launching a new EV pickup truck starting at $30,000, slated to hit the streets in 2028.
The Ford Model T, launched in 1908, revolutionized the car industry as it became arguably the first affordable, mass-produced vehicle that could be configured in a plethora of ways to suit the needs of anyone from business people to farmers, railroad workers, firefighters and more.
“Now is time to change the game once again,” Farley said. “The new pickup, built here in Louisville, is going to cure a lot of problems, like all those generic, two-row crossovers that dominate our industry.”
Linking this new pickup truck to the Model T is quite the statement.
Farley also linked the new truck to another of Ford’s great affordability-related innovations.
“We looked at the past for innovation, we looked at the Model T and the flathead V8 that Mr. Ford installed in our cars in ’32,” he said. “These are times when Ford broke with tradition and broke the rules.”
Details on The Coming Pickup
Farley said Ford plans to break the rules again by producing the new truck in the U.S. with U.S.-produced parts at an affordable price.
The new pickup truck will be produced on Ford’s upcoming Universal EV platform, which is planned for production in Louisville, KY at a plant that Ford is investing $2 billion in, Farley said. That plant will also employ some 2,000 workers at a minimum of $22-an-hour, he added.
The five-seater truck will also be “more spacious inside than the [Toyota] RAV4,” have a trunk in the front in addition to the bed in the back, be “faster than our Mustang twin turbo,” include fast-charging capabilities, “have amazing range” and be able to “power your house for six days,” Farley said.
“Just like ‘ole Henry [Ford], our idea is that the people who work here at Lousiville will be able to buy this car and spend money on other things they love, like vacations, and their homes and their kids’ education,” he added.
Ford also plan to make multiple body styles for the vehicle, “ford work and play.”
And in addition to the Louisville plant investment, Farley said the pickup truck’s batteries will be made in Marshall, Michigan at another plant the company has invested $3 billion into recently called the “Blue Oval Battery Park.”
“Look, this project is a lot bigger than Ford Motor Company, this project is about our country,” Farley added.
The new EV pickup truck will join Ford’s current three-vehicle EV lineup, which includes the Mustang Mach-E, F-150 Lightning and E-Transit.
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