Ford Universal Electric Platform

[morgan20]

7 hours ago, Biker16 said:

Ford has to focus on making a Great Electric Truck that affordable.
 

The Core mission of a Ford truck is to be useful. 

Electrification has expanded what People think trucks can be and can do. there is so much you can do to make a unique vehicle. Ford shouldn't be too attached to traditional styling.  

 

Yea, exactly. This should be the primary focus for product development using Ford Universal Electric Platform, and the highest priority for the company over the next three years.

 

If the big shots really think Monday's announcement of Universal Electric Platform was a "Model T Moment", they should be thinkin' like Ol' Henry did over a century ago, but for the modern era:

 

I will build electric trucks for the great multitude. They will be large enough for the family, but small enough to maneuver easily in tight spaces. They will offer a host of features no other truck can match, assembled by the best men to be hired, using the simplest and most innovative designs that modern engineering can devise. But they will be so low in price that no man making a good salary will be unable to own one – and enjoy with his family the blessing of hours of pleasure in God's great open spaces.

 

[jpd80]

11 hours ago, DeluxeStang said:

So just to clarify with your previous post about this whole thing being pitched to investors and other select groups and them being lukewarm on it, are you saying they were actually shown the styling and weren't too fond of it, or that they just had a lot of doubts about Ford's plans to build these vehicles? 

No they saw what we saw and like yourself were expecting to see

images of a vehicle, most likely why Ford’ stock price didn’t do much……

 

I can imagine many of them glazing over on the presentation,

lots of hype but they want to see the the sausage and the sizzle.

 

10 hours ago, Rick73 said:

Investors and analysts have become more skeptical and will be a harder sell no matter what IMO.

Most of those folks are fixated on end product that Ford will sell

and less about the process to do that, a presumption that

it should be profitable, the fact that Ford needed to show how

much needs to change to do that is probably something that

perhaps get revealed later after the products?

Edited August 13 by jpd80

[Sherminator98]

https://www.fromtheroad.ford.com/us/en/articles/2025/simplicity-blueprint-future-ford-electric-vehicle-platform

[akirby]

Investors are skeptical about pricing based on what they saw with cybertruck and lightning where the mfr promised $40k pricing that turned into $50k-$60k by the time they were introduced.  And the general slowdown in EV sales.  They’re also short sighted and don’t care as much about 2-3 yrs down the road.

[morgan20]

36 minutes ago, akirby said:

They’re also short sighted and don’t care as much about 2-3 yrs down the road.

 

Yea, that's what a lot of so called "investors" do. But the big shots at Ford need to think long term and keep their eye on the ball.

 

The big shot Doug Field said:

New ideas are easy. But innovation is delivering those ideas to the world in a way that millions can access. We have a hell of a lot of work to do to make that happen.

I know Ford is the company that can pull it off.

 

No excuses, Ford! Make it happen!

Edited August 13 by morgan20

[Sherminator98]

Regarding pricing-I hope Ford is sandbagging the price to take in account of inflation and other things driving the price up. 
 

Shooting for say 30k and it costing $34k

is better then it being closer to the 40k mark. 

[rmc523]

16 hours ago, DeluxeStang said:

So just to clarify with your previous post about this whole thing being pitched to investors and other select groups and them being lukewarm on it, are you saying they were actually shown the styling and weren't too fond of it, or that they just had a lot of doubts about Ford's plans to build these vehicles? 

 

I think only a handful of people actually got to see it (plant workers, apparently Sandy Munro, etc)....most just saw the presentation we saw, and likely expected more, so were underwhelmed rather than actually listening to what was presented.  That said, more detail is always better for them, so naturally being vague/waiting for future reveals won't appeal to them.

 

14 hours ago, Sherminator98 said:

If anything a CUV type product would sell even better than a pickup and adding more product would make it an easier to make sales numbers. 
 

The big issue is just mainstream acceptance of EVs and making them more affordable will make that easier. 

 

I'm surprised by the gap, especially with Escape/Corsair up in the air.  Couple that with the rumored capacity projections of 190k or whatever it was, and it leaves me scratching my head a bit.

 

26 minutes ago, Sherminator98 said:

Regarding pricing-I hope Ford is sandbagging the price to take in account of inflation and other things driving the price up. 
 

Shooting for say 30k and it costing $34k

is better then it being closer to the 40k mark. 

 

Knowing Ford, they'll do the launch $29,999 model, and it'll be gone, replaced by a $34,999 model in my2.

[morgan20]

1 hour ago, Sherminator98 said:

Regarding pricing-I hope Ford is sandbagging the price to take in account of inflation and other things driving the price up. 

 

28 minutes ago, rmc523 said:

Knowing Ford, they'll do the launch $29,999 model, and it'll be gone, replaced by a $34,999 model in my2.

 

If Ford Universal Electric Vehicle Platform and Production System are as revolutionary as the big shots claim, pricing on UEP vehicles should go down over time like the Model T.

 

The Ford Model T is an automobile that was produced by the Ford Motor Company from October 1, 1908, to May 26, 1927. It is generally regarded as the first mass-affordable automobile, which made car travel available to middle-class Americans.

 

The savings from mass production allowed the price to decline from $780 in 1910 (equivalent to $26,322 in 2024) to $290 in 1924 ($5,321 in 2024 dollars).

 

 

[rmc523]

1 minute ago, morgan20 said:

 

 

If Ford Universal Electric Vehicle Platform and Production System are as revolutionary as the big shots claim, pricing on UEP vehicles should go down over time like the Model T.

 

The Ford Model T is an automobile that was produced by the Ford Motor Company from October 1, 1908, to May 26, 1927. It is generally regarded as the first mass-affordable automobile, which made car travel available to middle-class Americans.

 

The savings from mass production allowed the price to decline from $780 in 1910 (equivalent to $26,322 in 2024) to $290 in 1924 ($5,321 in 2024 dollars).

 

 

 

Their cost may go down.  Doesn't mean prices will...

[Joe771476]

I think Farley is leading Ford down a path of destruction. Auto and financial analysts say his EV obsession is going to make or break Ford, and they're leaning toward break!  This is probably why he took out the $3 billion line of credit. Americans don't want EV's.

[Biker16]

3 minutes ago, Joe771476 said:

I think Farley is leading Ford down a path of destruction. Auto and financial analysts say his EV obsession is going to make or break Ford, and they're leaning toward break!  This is probably why he took out the $3 billion line of credit. Americans don't want EV's.

 

[rmc523]

16 minutes ago, Joe771476 said:

I think Farley is leading Ford down a path of destruction. Auto and financial analysts say his EV obsession is going to make or break Ford, and they're leaning toward break!  This is probably why he took out the $3 billion line of credit. Americans don't want EV's.

 

Yes, because the Blue and Pro sides of the business don't exist.  They can "easily" drop the EVs and double down on the other two if they really had to.

[Sherminator98]

The resident curmudgeon has spoken, so it has to be true!

[DeluxeStang]

1 hour ago, Joe771476 said:

I think Farley is leading Ford down a path of destruction. Auto and financial analysts say his EV obsession is going to make or break Ford, and they're leaning toward break!  This is probably why he took out the $3 billion line of credit. Americans don't want EV's.

Couldn't disagree more. Everyone says people don't want EVs, anyone who says that is straight up lying. EV sales growth is outpacing growth of most of the industry. The model Y is one of the best selling individual models, and the model 3 isn't far behind. 

 

It's obvious that people do want EVs, especially younger buyers like myself, we just don't want 200k EVs the size of a battleship. Pretty much every well executed reasonably affordable EV is selling like gangbusters. 

[rmc523]

4 minutes ago, DeluxeStang said:

Couldn't disagree more. Everyone says people don't want EVs, anyone who says that is straight up lying. EV sales growth is outpacing growth of most of the industry. The model Y is one of the best selling individual models, and the model 3 isn't far behind. 

 

It's obvious that people do want EVs, especially younger buyers like myself, we just don't want 200k EVs the size of a battleship. Pretty much every well executed reasonably affordable EV is selling like gangbusters. 

 

I don't think size matters as much as price.

[Rick73]

8 minutes ago, rmc523 said:

 

I don't think size matters as much as price.

At a practical level that’s mostly a distinction without a difference.  You can make a small EV super expensive if you choose to (like a supercar) but you can’t make a practical large EV affordable enough for the masses.  It has taken years for manufacturers to return back to early days of EVs when size and efficiency were emphasized, as was the case with GM EV1.  Pendulum won’t need to swing back that far because technology has improved so much over 25 years, but at other extreme majority of the masses don’t actually need a car as large as a Tesla Model 3 either.  I will bet these new Fords will face tough competition from vehicles like Bolt, Leaf, and future Tesla if they ever get their act together.

[DeluxeStang]

1 hour ago, Sherminator98 said:

The resident curmudgeon has spoken, so it has to be true!

It actually pisses me off when people dislike a certain vehicle type, so they try to pretend like everyone else must feel the same way. He's saying we don't want affordable EVs, he needs to learn just because he doesn't want them, that doesn't mean others don't. 

 

I dislike large heavy duty trucks like the super duty quite strongly, I find them gross, annoying, and often way too over the top for what most people need. Despite this, I can also accept there are people out there who genuinely need a truck with that size and level of capability. 

 

My point is people like that guy need to realize just because he doesn't want something, that doesn't give him the right to say what other people want. 

[rmc523]

1 minute ago, Rick73 said:

At a practical level that’s mostly a distinction without a difference.  You can make a small EV super expensive if you choose to (like a supercar) but you can’t make a practical large EV affordable enough for the masses.  It has taken years for manufacturers to return back to early days of EVs when size and efficiency were emphasized, as was the case with GM EV1.  Pendulum won’t need to swing back that far because technology has improved so much over 25 years, but at other extreme majority of the masses don’t actually need a car as large as a Tesla Model 3 either.  I will bet these new Fords will face tough competition from vehicles like Bolt, Leaf, and future Tesla if they ever get their act together.

 

Yes, because you totally can't take the techniques and savings figured out in small vehicles and apply the same methods to larger vehicles to bring costs/prices down.  IMPOSSIBLE!!!!

 

At the current moment, sure the large EVs are expensive.  But costs of tech, and therefore prices, will come down as it matures and is refined.  To think otherwise is stupid.

 

The idea of flying was wackadoodle until it wasn't.

[Rick73]

5 hours ago, akirby said:

Investors are skeptical about pricing based on what they saw with cybertruck and lightning where the mfr promised $40k pricing that turned into $50k-$60k by the time they were introduced.  And the general slowdown in EV sales.  They’re also short sighted and don’t care as much about 2-3 yrs down the road.

That’s the kind of BS I was referring to.  Musk in particular started to exaggerate and speak gibberish yet Tesla stock kept going up, whereas in the past company executives were held accountable for what they said.  That doesn’t seem true any longer.  Promised vehicles, costs, and schedules became a joke, so why should any serious person pay attention?  Investor skepticism is warranted IMO.

[blazerdude20]

3 hours ago, rmc523 said:

 

Their cost may go down.  Doesn't mean prices will...

Correct but in a competitive environment, some of that savings very well may be “passed” back to the consumer. Ford saves $5k per vehicle, they price it 1-1.5k lower. They still make more per unit and can sell more units because the sale price undercuts competition. 

[Sherminator98]

18 minutes ago, DeluxeStang said:

My point is people like that guy need to realize just because he doesn't want something, that doesn't give him the right to say what other people want. 

 

You see that all the time on social media with EV threads. 

 

People are far too hung up on their 2 foot view to actually look at things objectively and take everything too personally. 

 

I totally get why someone like having a V8 and a manual transmission-but for everyday use that isn't the best idea for average driver.

 

I got a to take out a Cobra replica for a drive years back-was a blast to drive-I felt like I was driving a road going go kart and was completely unrefined, but was a blast to drive anyways-but I sure as hell don't want to deal with that every day. 

[Rick73]

5 hours ago, Sherminator98 said:

https://www.fromtheroad.ford.com/us/en/articles/2025/simplicity-blueprint-future-ford-electric-vehicle-platform

The key point made IMO is “for the customers we are going after.”

 

Trying to make any vehicle, particularly a BEV, that appeals to most buyers is a huge mistake.  Obviously manufacturers always target buyers within a certain segment but I think this takes it to a higher level of differentiation.  I don’t like that its a pickup but given there is less direct competition for a mid-size EV truck it makes sense versus starting out with another common crossover.

 

 

Quote

You might wonder why this platform and vehicle had to be electric. The choice enabled how it is built, and we also believe electric vehicles are by far the best product for the customers we are going after.

 

You can charge at home, waking up every day with a "full tank."

 

[Rick73]

29 minutes ago, rmc523 said:

 

Yes, because you totally can't take the techniques and savings figured out in small vehicles and apply the same methods to larger vehicles to bring costs/prices down.  IMPOSSIBLE!!!!

 

At the current moment, sure the large EVs are expensive.  But costs of tech, and therefore prices, will come down as it matures and is refined.  To think otherwise is stupid.

 

The idea of flying was wackadoodle until it wasn't.

For Ford and other manufacturers to remain in business they have to build vehicles that are possible today, not in 5 or 10 years.

 

I love future possibilities and planning accordingly but businesses have to generate income now to have any chance of making future dreams come true.

[DeluxeStang]

11 minutes ago, Sherminator98 said:

 

You see that all the time on social media with EV threads. 

 

People are far too hung up on their 2 foot view to actually look at things objectively and take everything too personally. 

 

I totally get why someone like having a V8 and a manual transmission-but for everyday use that isn't the best idea for average driver.

 

I got a to take out a Cobra replica for a drive years back-was a blast to drive-I felt like I was driving a road going go kart and was completely unrefined, but was a blast to drive anyways-but I sure as hell don't want to deal with that every day. 

Exactly, you nailed it. I love a V8 mustang for weekend cruising, I'm strongly considering a gt 350. But most people don't want to live with a car like that every day. For weekly driving, I just want something easy, refined, that makes life less stressful, EVs are perfect for that, give me a nice EV to commute in, and a mustang to enjoy on the weekends. 

[Biker16]

23 minutes ago, blazerdude20 said:

Correct but in a competitive environment, some of that savings very well may be “passed” back to the consumer. Ford saves $5k per vehicle, they price it 1-1.5k lower. They still make more per unit and can sell more units because the sale price undercuts competition. 

 
Tariffs will ensure prices will remain disconnected from costs.