They do say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Ford revealed some new details about its upcoming $30,000 electric pickup on Tuesday and the competition has been paying attention. Literally the competition.
Responding to a CNBC post on X linking to a story titled “Ford to follow Tesla Cybertruck with electrical tech in new EV pickup,” the Cybertruck’s X account responded, “Everything is going according to plan.”
The story highlights Ford’s use of a new 48-volt electrical architecture, which replaces the traditional 12-volt architecture for auxiliary systems like lights, electric windows, etc., while the drive motors run at higher voltage. It’s more efficient and requires less wiring that the old technology, which reduces the weight and complexity of the vehicle.
See It: FORD’S $30,000 ELECTRIC PICKUP TEASED IN NEW PHOTOS
The Cybertruck was the first mass market vehicle to hit the U.S. with this type of setup, allowing it to crow about it, but Ford is also using another idea pioneered by Tesla.
The pickup’s Universal Electric Vehicle platform design has replaced 146 parts at the front and rear of the chassis with two large aluminum “unicast” sections, which cut pounds and make it easier to assemble. Tesla has been building vehicles for years like this, but calls it “gigacasting,’ much like it calls its plants “gigafactories” to emphasize their size.
The trucks are very different sizes. Ford’s is small like the Maverick, while the Cybertruck is a full-size like the recently discontinued Ford F-150 Lighting that outsold the Tesla last year 27,307 to 20,237, despite going out of production in October. Ford is also targeting that $30,000 starting price for the new model, while the cheapest Cybertruck that’s currently available is $80,000.
That Cybertruck model has all-wheel drive and a range of 325 miles per charge, while Ford hasn’t yet said how far its all-wheel-drive pickup can go or even what the name of it is. That’ll all be announced closer to when it goes on sale in 2027.
