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Ford Launches $5 Billion EV Overhaul to Build $30K Pickup

The overhaul replaces Ford’s century-old conveyor system with a three-branch assembly tree, localizes LFP battery production under a CATL license, exposes the program to execution and incentive-eligibility risks.

Image
FILE - A vehicle assembly technician works on a 2025 Ford Expedition during a media tour to launch the 2025 Ford Expedition at the Ford Motor Company Kentucky Truck Plant, April 30, 2025, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, file)
The metal frame of a Ford Escape SUV on the production line at the Ford Louisville Assembly plant in Kentucky. Ford will stop producing the Escape in Louisville, building a new type of assembly line for its next generation of electric vehicles.

Overview

  • Ford unveiled its Universal EV Platform and Production System, backed by $5 billion in U.S. factory upgrades aimed at a lower-cost, software-defined EV line.
  • The first application targets a midsize, four-door electric pickup to be built in Louisville by around 2027 with a starting price of about $30,000.
  • The program replaces the century-old moving assembly line with a modular "assembly tree," promising about 20% fewer parts, 40% fewer workstations, and 15% faster build times.
  • Ford will produce prismatic lithium-iron phosphate batteries domestically at BlueOval Battery Park under a CATL license, potentially jeopardizing up to $700 million in federal tax credits.
  • The initiative secures nearly 4,000 U.S. jobs while reducing hourly staffing at the Louisville plant from 2,808 to around 2,200 through retirements and redeployments.