The Ford Maverick’s little electric sibling has been out and about.
Ford has started testing camouflaged prototypes of its upcoming small electric pickup on public roads and debuted a website tracking the build up to the model’s launch next year with teaser posts and videos.
It all started earlier this week when The Autopian got a tip that the truck was out and about in Long Beach, Calif., and got a few snaps of it. Someone spotted a QR code hidden in the camouflage’s pattern, which linked Ford’s new website.
The website congratulates viewers for spotting a “unicorn” and includes a brief behind the scenes discussion about assembling the vehicle, which uses a simplified design with large megacasted parts replacing what would be dozens in conventional construction.
Ford had previously released a presentation that went into detail about that, but the new addition is a video that shows exterior shots of the pickup being developed at test facilities.
The finer points of its design are obscured by the camo, but the overall shape is evident. It has a relatively traditional pickup shape with flat tops for the bedsides, but it has a low nose, a raked back windshield a roofline that tapers at the rear to reduce aerodynamic drag.
As far as how big it is, based on the diameter of the wheels, it appears to be a few inches shorter in both height and length than the Maverick, but it’s hard to say exactly by how much. Ford has said the model will have an interior that is roomier than a Toyota Rav4’s, which should also make it a little more spacious than a Maverick’s.
The website adds that, “We’re testing this prototype early. The herd arrives next year.” But while the Maverick name sometime refers to a wild horse, it’s unlikely Ford will actually call this one the Unicorn or something else equine.
The prevailing rumor is that it will revive the Ranchero name from the Ford’s history, but nothing has yet been confirmed. We would, however, expect a lot of new information to be coming in the next couple of weeks.
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That’s because pricing for the model’s closest electric rival, the compact Slate Truck, will be announced on June 24, so Ford might want to steal some of that thunder with news of its own. Slate has only said it will be priced in the mid-$20,000 range, which covers a lot.
Ford is targeting a $30,000 starting price for its electric truck, but hasn’t released any specifications for the entry level model, or any model, for that matter. The only thing we know for sure is that it will have four doors, while the much smaller Slate has just two.
