Ford is preparing a radical overhaul of how it builds electric vehicles (EVs), aiming not just to design new cars, but to alter the manufacturing process itself. CEO Jim Farley and Ford’s leadership envision an EV line built in three separate modules, front, middle, and rear, that are constructed in parallel, then merged at the end. That stands in sharp contrast to traditional linear assembly lines where every car moves down a single, long conveyor, with workers and components added progressively, reports WIRED.com.
This modular method, dubbed the Ford Universal EV Production System, will be implemented at Ford’s Louisville assembly plant, backed by a US$2 billion investment. Ford claims the new process will be about 40% faster, require fewer workstations, and use 20% fewer parts overall. Fasteners such as bolts, screws, and clips will drop by roughly 30%, and wiring harnesses will be lighter and shorter; one upcoming midsize truck’s wiring will save over a mile (~1.3 km) and 10 kg.
To support efficient modular builds, Ford is also introducing the Ford Universal EV Platform, a new 400-volt scalable architecture that spans vehicle types from compact cars to SUVs. A key innovation: integrating lithium iron phosphate (LFP) prismatic batteries into the vehicle floor, making the battery part of the structure (a cell-to-body approach) rather than a pack sitting atop a frame. LFP is cheaper and safer, and this structural integration reduces complexity.
Ford plans to roll out the first vehicle built on this platform in 2027—a midsize all-electric pickup targeted at a starting price around US$30,000. The company says this pickup will match the performance of a Mustang EcoBoost and offer more passenger space than a Toyota RAV4.
Ford’s strategy is clearly aimed at competing with Chinese EV makers, where costs are lower and manufacturing innovations are aggressive. Rather than trying to match scale, Ford seems to believe its path to competitiveness lies in rethinking engineering, reducing complexity, streamlining production, and innovating around structure and platform.