Ford is investing $5bn in a new generation of EVs, to be built in the US with US batteries.

Approximately $2bn will be spent in transforming its Louisville Assembly Plant and at BlueOval Battery Park Michigan, Ford have committed $3bn to assemble the LFP batteries these new vehicles will use.

The Louisville-assembled midsize electric truck on the new Universal EV Platform will debut in 2027 with a target price of about $30,000, roughly the same as the Model T when adjusted for inflation and at a level to compete with Chinese, and other, imports.

Eventually there will be a family of electric vehicles that offer multiple body styles and whose LFP batteries will be assembled in America, not imported from China.

“We took a radical approach to a very hard challenge: Create affordable vehicles that delight customers in every way that matters, design, innovation, flexibility, space, driving pleasure, and cost of ownership, and do it with American workers,” said Ford president and CEO Jim Farley.

The new platform reduces parts by 20 per cent versus a typical vehicle, with 25 per cent fewer fasteners, 40 pe cent fewer workstations dock-to-dock in the plant and 15 per cent faster assembly time. The wiring harness in the new midsize truck will be more than 4,000 feet shorter and 10kg lighter than the one used in Ford’s first-gen electric SUV.

The lithium iron phosphate (LFP) prismatic batteries also enable space and weight savings, while delivering cost reduction and durability for customers. The platform’s cobalt-free and nickel-free LFP battery pack is a structural sub-assembly that also serves as the vehicle’s floor. This low centre of gravity improves handling, creates a quiet cabin, and provides a surprising amount of interior space.

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