Image Credit: Captain Electro.
I've seen some desperate attempts at penny-pinching before, but Ford has taken the "every little helps" mantra to an entirely new level. After the F-150 Lightning proved to be about as popular as a skunk at a garden party, Detroit's finest retreated to a shed with some pencils and a very expensive ruler. The result? A mid-size electric truck, arriving in 2027, that is so obsessed with size it makes a supermodel look reckless.
Ford's engineers are now claiming that every single millimeter of roof height on this new $30,000 pickup adds $1.30 to the battery cost. Apparently, if the roof is a smidge too high, you lose 0.055 miles of range. It's the kind of madness usually reserved for people who build ships in bottles. They've even introduced a "bounty" system for the design team. I imagine a group of engineers hunting down "wasted" space like they're in a high-stakes game of hide-and-seek, except the prize isn't a trophy - it's a cheaper battery.
Image Credit: Ford.
The compact truck sits on a new "Universal EV" platform, but don't let the bland IKEA-like name fool you. Ford is going for an aerodynamic efficiency that is 15% better than any other truck currently cluttering up the roads. They've managed this by giving it a rounded face and a roof that air simply "skips" over, like a flat stone on a lake. It's so slippery that Ford expects it to squeeze out an extra 50 miles of range just by being less offensive to the wind.
And then we have the side mirrors. Ford has shrunk them by 20%, which apparently nets you an extra 1.5 miles of range. I don't know about you, but I'd rather be able to see the articulated lorry trying to occupy the same space as my rear bumper than gain the distance of a brisk walk to the shops. But when the target is a $30,000 EV, vision is clearly a luxury we can no longer afford.
Image Credit: Ford.
Under the wind-friendly skin, it's even weirder. Instead of the usual mess of 146 structural parts found in a Maverick, this new truck uses just two large aluminum unicastings. It's essentially a giant Lego set for adults who like torque. This "unicasting" magic makes the truck 27% lighter than what the competition is making. If it gets any lighter, we'll have to tie it to a fence post on a windy day to stop it from drifting into the ocean.
Ford also went on a diet with the wiring. This new beast has a wire harness that is 4,000 feet shorter and 22 lbs lighter than Ford's first-gen EVs. That's nearly three-quarters of a mile of copper they've just decided we don't need. It uses a 48-volt low-voltage system - a first for Ford - and an in-house charging ecosystem designed to make the battery last longer. It even has bi-directional charging, so you can power your house when the grid inevitably gives up the ghost.
Image Credit: Ford.
The battery itself is a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) unit, which is cheaper, heartier, and less likely to throw a tantrum than the expensive stuff. Ford is betting that by making the truck small and light, it won't need a battery the size of a double mattress. It's a brave move. Most Americans want a battery that can power a small city for a month, but Ford is saying, "No, have a small one and stop being so heavy."
Despite the diet, Ford claims the yet-to-be-named truck will be as quick as a Mustang EcoBoost, hitting 60 mph in about 4.5 seconds. It's also meant to have more interior room than a Toyota RAV4, which is impressive considering the first sketches of the truck look like an aggressive bar of soap. Will this "millimeter-perfect" gamble pay off? We'll find out soon enough, but at $30,000, it'll be the first EV that doesn't require selling a kidney to afford the monthly payments.
Image Credit: Ford.
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