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Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Ford) Ford’s “Model T moment” for electric vehicles has finally arrived with the reveal of what it’s billing as a more affordable EV platform. The car maker announced its universal EV platform today (August 11) with plans to build a family of affordable electric vehicles starting with a four-door midsize pickup truck. The truck won’t arrive until 2027, but Ford is touting that its new EV will start at $30,000. Ford teased the platform in July, when CEO Jim Farley said that it was planning to build a “breakthrough” EV that would be built in Kentucky. "This is a Model T moment for us at Ford, a chance to bring a new family of vehicles to the world that offer incredible technology, efficiency, space, and features,” Farley said at the time. You may like I drove the 2025 Dodge Charger EV for a week — and it’s proof that muscle cars can embrace all-electric power The best electric cars in 2025 I drove the Volvo EX30 for a week — and it’s the EV I’d buy with my own money Ford reportedly had a Skunkworks team in the Bay Area run by a former Tesla engineer to develop the platform in secret for more than a decade. Part of the project involved tearing up the assembly line concept with the new platform and “radically simplifying vehicle assembly for safety, quality, and speed.” According to Farley, Ford has a difficult goal in trying to make a sustainable business that offers affordable vehicles. “We took a radical approach to a very hard challenge: Create affordable vehicles that delight customers in every way that matters – design, innovation, flexibility, space, driving pleasure, and cost of ownership,” Farley said in a press release. In the world of electric vehicles, Ford has lagged behind, only really offering its F-150 Lightning and an electric version of the classic Mustang. Neither of those cars could be described as affordable. Singular assembly line (Image credit: Future) The idea of a new EV platform isn’t unique. As The Autopian notes, companies like Volkswagen, GM, and Hyundai/Kia have ongoing platforms that underpin their electric vehicles like the Blazer EV or Kia EV6. Ford told The Autopian that its platform differentiates itself by being more modular than the approaches of other EV makers. Sign up to get the BEST of Tom's Guide direct to your inbox. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. This more modular design is supposed to make the vehicle more affordable because it creates vehicles with fewer parts than traditional gas cars. This harkens back to the Model T, which pioneered mass-produced, affordable cars. “The platform reduces parts by 20% versus a typical vehicle, with 25% fewer fasteners, 40% fewer workstations dock-to-dock in the plant and 15% faster assembly time,” Ford said in its announcement. One estimate claims the new vehicle will reduce wiring by 4,000 feet and 10 fewer kilograms than the Mustang Mach-E. Additionally, the platform is scalable, meaning that eventually Ford will be able to offer a variety of vehicle types beyond trucks, including vans and SUVs. Outside of actually building the car, Ford says the new cars will be “software-defined,” meaning the eVS will have operating systems that Ford can improve via over-the-air updates. New batteries (Image credit: Ford) With manufacturing becoming more streamlined and cheaper, Ford is also looking to save money with a new smaller battery. The company is planning on using lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry in future EVs. Reportedly, this battery will be somewhere between 49 kWh and 60.48 kWh, smaller than the 57 kWh battery in the original Chevy Bolt, which launched in 2016. This is quite tiny compared to the 300+ mile range of most modern battery packs. However, in comparison to most lithium-ion batteries, LFPs have improved lifecycles and, from what we understand, can be charged to 100% more often. According to Alan Clarke, head of the Skunkworks team, the company is planning on boosting range via improved aerodynamic designs and software optimization. Uphill battle (Image credit: Getty Images) Ford is massively investing in an EV future that finds itself at a fraught time in the United States, as President Donald Trump has been antagonistic toward electric vehicles. The recently passed "Big Beautiful Bill" nixes the $7,500 tax credit for EVs. And the administration is also considering zeroing out fines for vehicles that exceed fuel efficiency standards. Ford is also dealing with heavy-handed tariffs across the board from the Trump Administration, which the company has said could cut more than $2 billion off its earnings. Elsewhere, Chinese companies like BYD have grown exponentially popular in their home country as well as other countries thanks to more affordable options. The most affordable brand new EV you can find is the 2025 Nissan Leaf, which starts $28,140, but it’s not a four-door pickup. If Ford can be the first while offering good tech and decent range, it could be the breakthrough Ford is seeking. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button. More from Tom's Guide Tom's Guide Awards 2025: Our favorite cars from EVs to hybrids I dreamed of flying cars, but the automotive reality of 2035 is even more revolutionary I've tested 20+ vehicles so far this year — here's my 5 favorite EVs Today's smart glasses deals XREAL One Pro See all prices See all prices RayNeo Air 2s XR $319.98View See all prices Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses See all prices VITURE Pro XR Glasses See all prices We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices Scott Younker Social Links Navigation West Coast Reporter Scott Younker is the West Coast Reporter at Tom’s Guide. He covers all the lastest tech news. He’s been involved in tech since 2011 at various outlets and is on an ongoing hunt to build the easiest to use home media system. When not writing about the latest devices, you are more than welcome to discuss board games or disc golf with him. He also handles all the Connections coverage on Tom's Guide and has been playing the addictive NYT game since it released. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. I drove the 2025 Dodge Charger EV for a week — and it’s proof that muscle cars can embrace all-electric power The best electric cars in 2025 I drove the Volvo EX30 for a week — and it’s the EV I’d buy with my own money EVs are notoriously expensive, so I’m leasing one instead — here’s why it’s the smarter way to go I drove the Cadillac Escalade IQ for a week — and it has features I haven’t seen before in an EV I drove the 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz for a week — and it gets more attention than any other EV on the road Latest in EVs I drove the Cadillac Escalade IQ for a week — and it has features I haven’t seen before in an EV I dreamed of flying cars, but the automotive reality of 2035 is even more revolutionary I thought the BMW ix xDrive45 was overrated until I drove it for a week — here’s why Ford promises a 'Model T Moment' in August with a 'breakthrough electric vehicle' I tried charging the Hyundai Ioniq 9 at a Tesla Supercharger station — here’s what happened I gave the 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid a second chance — and it smashed my expectations Latest in News Your Paramount Plus subscription just got a major upgrade — here's what's coming Pixel 10 has been leaked to death — 5 upgrades I’m looking forward to 1.4 million customers exposed in Allianz life insurance data breach — what to do now YouTube just quietly blocked Adblock Plus — the internet hasn't noticed yet, but I've found a workaround Google Calendar bug uses Gemini to take over smart home devices and steal user data Blowing into a conch could be new, accessible treatment for sleep apnea, says research LATEST ARTICLES Pixel 10 has been leaked to death — 5 upgrades I’m looking forward to 1.4 million customers exposed in Allianz life insurance data breach — what to do now I found the best North Face deals in REI's sale section — here's 15 outdoor styles with up to 50% off I ditched for Verizon for three months for unlimited data at a fraction of the cost — here's how it went I use my MacBook every day — here's the 3 accessories I can’t live without Tom's Guide is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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