Ford Midsize EV Truck News: Ford Skunkworks (EVDC) - first ever behind the scenes tour; sneak peek at EV pickup [WARNING: NO POLITICS]

[Administrator]

Via Rancheroforum

Ford Skunkworks (EVDC) - first ever behind-the-scenes tour



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[Bob zimmerman]

As confirmed in a Wall Street journal article this morning 5-5-26, Ford will begin production of their 30k EV truck in Louisville later this year and will start selling the vehicle next year. A snip from the WSJ article.

ALLEN PARK, Mich.—A crew of engineers slipped past the empty security gate at a truck plant outside Detroit just after 3 a.m. The factory lines were still at that hour—but that was the point.

The crew was there to test a section of a new pickup that few at the company knew even existed. Ford’s secret project had an ambitious goal: to figure out how to make electric vehicles in the U.S. that could compete with the Chinese models clobbering competitors globally.

The secret is now out as Ford races toward building its first model, a new truck it says will be nearly as fast as a Mustang, travel around 300 miles on a single charge and feature in-car technology to compete with Tesla and China. It’s aiming for a 2027 launch and a price tag of around $30,000, the cost of a Toyota Camry.

Getting there means tearing up a century of manufacturing practices in a notoriously hidebound industry. At stake for Ford is securing a future beyond the gas-guzzling pickups and SUVs that have long defined its bottom line.
The project had been kept quiet from its 2022 start, led by veterans from Tesla and Apple who worked on designs out of a California office. Ford eventually brought in some of its own employees to help execute the vision. The process was filled with misunderstandings and distrust as the techie outsiders worked to win over the risk-averse industry veterans.
To build these new EVs, the company must use fewer people and simpler parts, and dismantle decades of engineering inertia. Chief Executive Jim Farley is calling it Ford’s new “Model T moment.” Rival automakers say overcoming China on EVs can’t be done, given their advantages: extensive government backing, low-cost labor and a massive head start.

 

[ychuck46]

For the vast majority of Americans a small truck that gets a theoretical maximum range of 300 miles (real world would probably be closer to 250 max, or even less in cold weather, etc) is not practical as anything other than a second around town ride. And for those of us who live in what would be considered rural or more rural settings it might not even be suitable in those areas. Sorry but a true hybrid or plugin hybrid are still the way to go for many of us, which is why the Mav hybrid has been so successful for Ford. It is a good price point if they can hold to that $30K figure, but that is a big if.

 

[Pierre777]

they all look Maverick like to me. from the outline of the one truck like vehicle under wraps looks like a Maverick Ranger( would that not be funny if Ford decide to combine both names). and it seems like what folks have been asking for a Full EV Maverick. Well we will know when they finally show it. Hopefully soon

 

[Matso]

China is currently producing at least 4 EV pickups with ranges not significantly better than 300 miles. However, they start at less than $20,000 US but of course that's simply a comparative. Jim Farley has taken several trips over there in the last two years to get an up close look at their facilities. He was apparently impressed and now inspired. It's going to take a lot more than that.

 

[Suzukiridr14]

China is currently producing at least 4 EV pickups with ranges not significantly better than 300 miles. However, they start at less than $20,000 US but of course that's simply a comparative. Jim Farley has taken several trips over there in the last two years to get an up close look at their facilities. He was apparently impressed and now inspired. It's going to take a lot more than that.

Agreed, but he is the first to realize that in order to compete in the car industry, newer factories with robots (cheap or free labor) will be the furture. Still need people like designers, but A I will take those jobs over time.

 

[commadorebob]

Chinese manufacturers don't have to deal with unions... or labor laws.

I've reached the point in my life where I'm willing to pay a little more for an American-made product.

 

[710-oil-614]

Again - zero faith you get much of anything for $30k.

If I want the same features I have in my current 25 Lariat AWD it’s going to cost more than $50k.

Everything we’ve heard is it’s old battery tech and then just using the Tesla manufacturing model of streamlining production, eliminating fasteners, welds, “unnecessary parts and features”.

I’d love to be wrong but this is going to end up being a bag full of empty promises and a very underwhelming vehicle.

I’m guessing for $30k (+ $1995 destination) you’ll get 200-220 miles of range, XL interior, fwd/rwd, payload similar to Maverick, towing limited to 2k

 

[Cherokee]

Skunkworks, L o L
Too funnay.

 

[Cherokee]

You guys gotta stop quoting A. I.
:’P
I don’t have the need to know before it happens. But when it does, I’d bet Ford
Will give us a game changer.

 

[TheSEARCH]

So at the end of this year they will start building it. Yet ZERO pictures of it seems strange.

My guess Range 200 on paper. ad 10K get 300 long range version.

XL interior. Or upgrade 10K for nice interior and tech.

 

[commadorebob]

Skunkworks, L o L
Too funnay.

That is what it is called. Lockheed Martin coined the term for their advanced development. Basically, it's a division of R&D where no idea is stupid until it is proven it doesn't work. I'm glad Ford has one. Rather than languishing on old ideas, have a place where you can safely throw everything at the wall.

 

[commadorebob]

Back on topic: There is a lot you can gleam from this image. Looks very much like a rounded off Maverick at this point.

 

[tiktokbrainrot]

Just more performative PR fluff from Ford. Nothing in there is actually telling us something we couldn't have already assumed.

Let us look at one of these prototypes already!

 

[Bob zimmerman]

I was not opposed to Chinese EV’s until I found out about their gov’t subsidizes

Chinese cars are cheap because their government subsidized the cost. For that reason, how can American companies (and other foreign companies) compete against that.

When we talk about a 20k Chinese EV, we are not comparing apples to apples. And for those reasons, I am now fully in support of our gov’t banning Chinese EV’s I don’t think anyone wants our government to start paying Ford to produce EV’s.

In some ways they did with the 30% tax break and while we all loved it, it was a federal subsidy.

Bob

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