LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — The Ford Motor Company said it is investing $5 billion and creating or securing almost 4,000 jobs as it works to build a mid-sized electric truck with a starting price of $30,000.
The announcement came during an event at the Louisville Assembly Plant Monday morning. The yet-to-be-named truck is expected to have more interior passenger space than the popular Toyota RAV4 SUV, in addition to a frunk and truck bed for storage, and a 0-60 mph time of 4.5 seconds, comparable to the 2025 Ford Mustang EcoBoost.
CEO Jim Farley said the target price and design are possible due to the new Ford Universal EV Platform. The platform has been designed to underpin trucks, SUVs, vans, compacts, and three-row vehicles.
Redesigning How Electric Vehicles Are Made
The automaker claims the new platform uses 20% fewer parts than a typical vehicle, requires 40% fewer workstations in a plant, and can be built 15% faster. Citing how the redesigned platform improves efficiencies, Ford says the wiring harness needed is 4,000 feet shorter than the one used in its first-generation electric vehicle.
In addition to changing what goes into a vehicle, the Blue Oval said it rethought the assembly, transforming it into an “assembly tree.” The concept calls for using three “sub assemblies” that run at the same time, and then are joined together later in the process, versus one long conveyor. Due to a combination of process and design changes, the truck could be built in almost half the time as vehicles currently being built at the Louisville Assembly.
Major Investments In American Manufacturing
During the event, Ford said it was planning to invest nearly $2 billion in the Louisville Assembly Plant so it can build the upcoming mid-sized truck, “securing 2,200 hourly jobs.”…