Ford CEO Jim Farley was in Las Vegas this week to talk to the brand’s dealers and he had a little something new to share with them … and everyone else.
Farley offered an update on Ford’s Universal Electric Vehicle project, which is developing a $30,000 compact pickup that is scheduled to enter production in 2027 at a factory in Kentucky. The platform will spawn several other model types, but the Maverick-sized pickup will be the first.
“American innovation is how we compete and win against China and the rest of the world,” Farley said in a social media post that included some photos.
The cropped shots don’t show the model in full, but do reveal several key details. One shows a worker polishing the front of the vehicle, which is a smooth panel instead of a grille.
The hood above it, and as seen in another image showing the rearview mirror, appears to be sloped, rather than long and flat like the Maverick’s.
Farley also said that Ford is for the first time using two “large unicastings,” which incorporate what was traditionally 146 parts into two aluminum pieces that are cheaper to manufacture and assemble. Tesla was a pioneer in this technique and uses it for several models.
These aren’t the first teaser images of the UEV, however. A video was released last August that included bits and pieces, along with the front of a vehicle covered in a sheet, which allowed the shape of the Mustang-style headlights to show through.
As far as what else to expect, so far Ford has said it will have a passenger compartment roomier than the Toyota Rav4’s, a frunk storage compartment, a lockable bed cover and be as quick as a turbocharged Ford Mustang EcoBoost, which can accelerate to 60 mph in about five seconds.
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