Ford rolls out cheaper EV pickup plan

Ford plans to retool its Kentucky factory to produce a cheaper EV pickup, aiming to expand US sales and compete with Chinese automakers.

Ford bets on a $30k electric pickup to reshape the market

Ford announced plans to retool the Louisville Assembly Plant in Kentucky to roll out a midsize electric pickup priced around $30,000 within 18 months. The project centers on a simplified platform built from a few large die-cast pieces, with a battery integrated as a structural element and cells sourced from a Ford plant in Marshall, Michigan. The investment is about $5 billion and the factory would reopen with about 2,200 jobs, 600 fewer than today, while the nearby Marshall site would add about 1,800 jobs.

Executives emphasized affordability over a green messaging push, framing the target price as key to broad market appeal. The plan comes amid headwinds for US EV demand, policy shifts under way, and growing competition from Chinese automakers and existing EV players. Ford cautioned that profitability remains uncertain even with the lower price, noting past missteps and the complexity of turning a low sticker price into a sustainable business.

The strategy signals a shift for legacy automakers chasing volume at thinner margins. If Ford can deliver at scale, it could force rivals to rethink pricing and product lines, potentially broadening the EV market beyond early adopters. The emphasis on modular design and a battery-as-structure mirrors moves by other players, but applying them to a mass-market pickup tests a different calculus of cost, supply chain control, and dealer networks.

However, success depends on several variables beyond engineering. Battery costs, supply reliability, and consumer demand for a sub-$30,000 EV must align with favorable policy incentives. The absence of a prototype on stage highlights the uncertainty and the risk of execution in a market where political winds and subsidy timelines matter as much as hardware design.

Highlights

The road ahead will test whether price can move the market as much as technology.