Ford Motor Company has revealed its boldest electric vehicle initiative yet — the Ford Universal Electric Vehicle Platform — a new manufacturing and design approach that could slash costs, simplify production, and redefine the future of affordable EVs.
Chief EV, Digital and Design Officer Doug Field, speaking at the Louisville Assembly Plant, said the project draws inspiration from Henry Ford’s vision of simplicity and mass accessibility, echoing the spirit of the iconic Model T.
Developed in secrecy over the past three years by a small, elite team led by former Tesla engineer Alan Clarke, the platform aims to dramatically cut vehicle complexity. Ford reports that compared to its first-generation electric SUV, the new design eliminates three-quarters of body parts, two-thirds of welds, half the fasteners, and nearly a mile of wiring.
The manufacturing overhaul replaces the century-old moving assembly line with a pioneering “assembly tree” method — building the vehicle in three major sections (front, rear, and structural battery core) before final assembly. Ford says it is the first time such a process has been attempted in the global auto industry.
The first model to use the platform will be a midsize, four-door electric pickup truck boasting more passenger room than a Toyota RAV4, plus both a front trunk and traditional truck bed. The platform will also support advanced digital features, over-the-air updates, and Ford’s hands-free BlueCruise driving technology.
Field stressed that the innovation is not only about the vehicle itself but about how it’s built, aiming for a five-year cost of ownership lower than a used Tesla Model Y.
“This is not a stripped-down, old-school vehicle,” Field said. “We believe the primary battleground with competitors, especially from China, will be fought and won in the digital realm.”
Ford expects the Universal EV Platform to underpin an entire family of affordable, fun-to-drive, and digitally advanced electric vehicles, pushing the company to the forefront of the next era of automotive manufacturing.
