Last week, under the blistering heat of an August day at a Ford plant in Louisville, Ky., Ford CEO Jim Farley, a self-proclaimed lifelong petrol head, announced a $30,000 electric pickup truck slated for release in 2027. Farley pitched it as a new “Model T moment,” a breakthrough meant to reinvent how cars and trucks are assembled. The company hopes the move will help Ford remain a profitable U.S. automaker despite rising tariffs, softening EV demand, higher labor costs, and a political climate that is increasingly hostile to electrification.
For decades, Ford’s profits have been anchored by the enormous success of its F-series trucks. These full-sized SUVs and pickups are emissions-heavy but hugely lucrative. In the quarter ended June, Ford sold 222,459 trucks—its highest total since 2019. Yet with Ford now committing $5 billion to electrifying its strongest brand asset, that long-standing dominance—and its combustion-first image—may turn into its greatest liability.
Ford’s EV ambition clashes with its image
In 2018, Ford scrapped its sedans and small cars, a decision driven partly by shifting consumer tastes (Americans favor big SUVs) and partly by the company’s own “Built Ford Tough” mantra. Today, Ford still sells one of the least fuel-efficient pickups on the market: the F-150 Raptor R, which gets just 10 miles per gallon in the city and 15 on the highway.
The perception gap between gas-guzzling, image-driven monster trucks and the green promise of EVs is huge–and one that Ford has struggled to close. That gap was evident in 2020 with the rollout of the Mustang Mach-E SUV. The launch fell flat, relying too heavily on the company’s heritage of big trucks and muscle cars, which left both EV buyers and Ford loyalists confused about what the new model represented.
The divide is further complicated by politics. As Bloomberg notes, about two-thirds of full-size truck owners lean conservative, and Republicans are less enthusiastic about EVs than Democrats. Ford’s crown jewel—the F-series—has become a symbol of excess and power, making it even harder to market a stripped-down, eco-friendly alternative across the political spectrum.
Ford’s EV playbook
Despite the enduring popularity of the F-150, sales of its electric sibling, the F-150 Lightning, have slowed. Lightning sales fell 26 percent during the April-June quarter from the previous year. The Mach-E also stumbled in the latest quarter, with sales dropping 20 percent year-over-year. Ford’s EV division, Model e, posted a $1.3 billion quarterly loss, and the company expects nearly $5 billion in EV-related losses this year.
To turn things around, Ford is borrowing from Tesla’s playbook. At the Kentucky plant, where it is investing $2 billion, the company is adopting a flexible “tree” assembly system in which components are built on separate branches before joining at final assembly. Engineers are also working to reduce the costly wiring harnesses that have burdened EV makers like Rivian. Ford is building a new battery plant in Michigan, and its $30,000 truck will feature a lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery to extend range while keeping costs down.
Meanwhile, Chinese EVs have become formidable competition (primarily in overseas market for now) thanks to their affordability, range and technology. The U.S. government has responded with aggressive measures to curb their import. Even so, Farley himself admitted on a podcast that after spending six months driving a Xiaomi SU7 to and from work, he thought it was “fantastic” and didn’t want to give it up.
Ultimately, Ford’s battle isn’t just with Tesla, Rivian or Chinese automakers. It’s about survival. Wall Street’s response to the $30,000 EV announcement has been cautious. Analysts praise the ambition but question whether Ford can scale fast enough or maintain that price point given tariffs, labor costs and declining U.S. tax credits. Many still consider the stock overvalued.
In truth, Ford’s move may be too little, too late. If this truly is Ford’s new “Model T” moment, then the new electric pickup must do what that historic car once did: be affordable, reliable, and unmistakably Ford. Otherwise, the company’s greatest strength—its big-truck legacy—could become the weight that drags it under.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
