Ford will mass-produce its midsize electric pickup, the Fadom, in early 2027 and sell it from $28,350.

On Aug. 13 local time, EV outlet Electrek reported that the Fadom will be the first vehicle based on Ford’s new “Universal EV” platform. It is set to begin production in the first quarter of 2027 at the Louisville Assembly Plant.

The key to the announcement is not price but changes in production methods. Ford previously said it would convert the Louisville Assembly Plant, which was an internal combustion engine vehicle factory a year ago, into an EV production facility, and the Fadom will be the starting point. The company plans to invest $5 billion to create 4,000 new jobs and build equipment needed for the new platform.

The new production system differs from the structure of existing vehicle assembly lines. Instead of assembling a vehicle as a single unit, Ford will divide production into three zones, including the front section, rear section and battery deck. The front and rear bodies will use large aluminum single-piece casting. As a result, the number of parts needed for current Maverick production will fall from 146 to 2 for the Fadom.

Interior parts will be placed first on top of the battery housing. Seats, the console and carpet are assembled on the battery housing, which serves as the vehicle floor, and the battery is then coupled from below. Ford said this “Universal EV production system” can raise the Fadom’s assembly speed by 40 percent compared with existing vehicles made at the Louisville plant.

It also said the approach reduces the physical burden of work on the production floor. Bryce Currie (브라이스 커리), Ford’s chief manufacturing officer, said the method will “reduce twisting, turning and bending motions.” He added it was designed to cut by 84 percent the motion of reaching over a fender, and said the wiring harness is more than 4,000 feet shorter and 22 pounds (about 9.98 kg) lighter than a first-generation electric SUV, making installation easier.

Ford plans to reinvest the assembly time saved into automation and internalisation to improve quality and costs. The Louisville Assembly Plant is expected to become the most highly automated Ford plant globally in the final assembly stage. There are also changes on the software side. Ford installed a software module flash station for the first time at an assembly plant, allowing the latest software to be loaded before a vehicle is fully assembled.

As a result, if a problem is found during assembly, updates can proceed without a separate stop. Previously it took about 10 minutes per vehicle, but it can now be handled while the vehicle moves along the assembly line. Based on a 5G environment inside the plant, workers can also conduct immediate diagnostics and quality checks. Ford said fewer parts and process steps also lower the likelihood of problems, helping improve quality.

Ford also disclosed product features. Ford said the Fadom will secure wider passenger space than the Toyota RAV4. It will come standard with a large high-resolution touchscreen, V2L functionality based on bidirectional charging, a digital key, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Ford also said the Fadom will be the first vehicle to directly integrate Apple Maps into the in-vehicle navigation system, supporting turn-by-turn guidance and EV route guidance.

These changes show the Fadom is not simply a low-priced electric pickup but the first model to change production processes and how software is applied. Ford plans to start operating the new production system and assembly equipment in the first quarter of 2027 and then accelerate its shift to EVs, starting with the Fadom.