The Ford Fathom($28,350 EV truck thread)

[T-dubz]

2 hours ago, blazerdude20 said:

Just saw this on IG. Levine posted a video on his page. He also notes the starting price is $28,350. 
 

https://www.fromtheroad.ford.com/us/en/articles/2026/ford-universal-ev-truck-name-reveal?fbclid=PAdGRleAThaHdwZG9mAmZkaWQWUL8TS33vT3aPV_Zvgf9PJbBF4yTlLmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDzEyNDAyNDU3NDI4NzQxNAABp2SjotqdvS5VJtq06QICCUd7rqtPaUuin_E8zRPwFIdxCpaKH1mDMTYM6D36_aem_HTck7UnI5QpznfAvdIotiw

From the article:

“What communicates depth below the surface? How do we communicate an emotional feeling of a vehicle that’s more than it appears to be?”

 

Who talks like this when discussing a vehicle name? I think they came up with the name that sounded cool and then created a fake backstory for it 😂

[fuzzymoomoo]

1 minute ago, T-dubz said:

From the article:

“What communicates depth below the surface? How do we communicate an emotional feeling of a vehicle that’s more than it appears to be?”

 

Who talks like this when discussing a vehicle name? I think they came up with the name that sounded cool and then created a fake backstory for it 😂

Trying to appeal to younger people who love to use a lot of words to say nothing? 
 

 

[Sherminator98]

9 minutes ago, T-dubz said:

If you remember a while back, we discussed comments from a user on mavericktruckclub where he described a focus group for this truck. He mentioned the standard range battery would have at least 200 mile range. He also mentioned the ability to power your house like the lightning, which was shown multiple times in the promo video. Could this mean the starting range is 200 miles?

 

Using the Slate as an example:

 

Quote

standard Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery pack with 63–65 kWh of usable capacity, providing an estimated 205 miles of range

 

From what I can find what Ford is using in the UEV:

 

Quote

LFP battery (prismatic)

 

Not sure how much difference between the two are, but Ford is really pushing the Aerodynamics end of things with the Fathom, so if they are using same battery or if this prismatic battery is slightly better, maybe you'll see a a roughly 15%/30-50 mile increase over the Slate if using the same battery size. 

[Sherminator98]

9 minutes ago, fuzzymoomoo said:

Trying to appeal to younger people who love to use a lot of words to say nothing? 
 

 

 

it was AI generated LOL

 

 

[fuzzymoomoo]

5 minutes ago, Sherminator98 said:

 

it was AI generated LOL

 

 

Same difference 

[Zestyg]

6 minutes ago, Sherminator98 said:

 

Using the Slate as an example:

 

 

From what I can find what Ford is using in the UEV:

 

 

Not sure how much difference between the two are, but Ford is really pushing the Aerodynamics end of things with the Fathom, so if they are using same battery or if this prismatic battery is slightly better, maybe you'll see a a roughly 15%/30-50 mile increase over the Slate if using the same battery size. 

yeah I expect 230-260. Similar to the Chevy Bolt.

[Deanh]

15 hours ago, DeluxeStang said:

Did more info come out? I heard there was a dealer meeting a few days ago but haven't gotten any details, hoping it's juicy. 

yes theres more....its intriguing to say teh least....some of those "patents" are instituted...

[rmc523]

24 minutes ago, T-dubz said:

From the article:

“What communicates depth below the surface? How do we communicate an emotional feeling of a vehicle that’s more than it appears to be?”

 

Who talks like this when discussing a vehicle name? I think they came up with the name that sounded cool and then created a fake backstory for it 😂

 

Maybe it's a transformer......more than meets the eye.

[rmc523]

1 minute ago, Deanh said:

yes theres more....its intriguing to say teh least....some of those "patents" are instituted...

 

I know you can't say, but I'm assuming we're referring to the midgate and such.

[DeluxeStang]

38 minutes ago, T-dubz said:

The fact that they specifically state the fathom is 28k with the standard range battery tells me that you will not be getting 300 mile range for 30k. 
 

If you remember a while back, we discussed comments from a user on mavericktruckclub where he described a focus group for this truck. He mentioned the standard range battery would have at least 200 mile range. He also mentioned the ability to power your house like the lightning, which was shown multiple times in the promo video. Could this mean the starting range is 200 miles?

 

 

38 minutes ago, T-dubz said:

The fact that they specifically state the fathom is 28k with the standard range battery tells me that you will not be getting 300 mile range for 30k. 
 

If you remember a while back, we discussed comments from a user on mavericktruckclub where he described a focus group for this truck. He mentioned the standard range battery would have at least 200 mile range. He also mentioned the ability to power your house like the lightning, which was shown multiple times in the promo video. Could this mean the starting range is 200 miles?

 

If they're getting 205 miles out of the slate, I'd expect at least 250, maybe 270 with the standard battery on fathom due to how efficient it is. With the larger, more expensive battery pushing into the low to mid 300s. 

[Deanh]

10 minutes ago, rmc523 said:

 

I know you can't say, but I'm assuming we're referring to the midgate and such.

Ill let Ford release the breakdown...Im tentative mentioning anything for fear of getting the Dealer Principle in trouble, but a LOT was shared at the Dealer meeting that got me excited...and Im a rather hard sell...ESPECIALLY with Electric....Im hoping the buyers are less "douchey" than the Mach E and Lightning clients...

[T-dubz]

3 minutes ago, rmc523 said:

 

I know you can't say, but I'm assuming we're referring to the midgate and such.

Again, I wonder how much ford could have saved on this vehicle by not including blue cruise, midgate, bidirectional power, power tailgate (if the focus group user is to be believed), etc. these are all options that rarely get used and only add to the price of a vehicle. Without them, the price could drop significantly and be more in line with the slate. 28k seems like a decent price, but 25k seems a whole lot better.

 

I know some of these are optional, but I doubt ford will offer versions with and without he midgate, and ford pre-installs all the blue cruise hardware regardless if you subscribe to blue cruise or not, so you still technically pay for it.

[DeluxeStang]

39 minutes ago, T-dubz said:

From the article:

“What communicates depth below the surface? How do we communicate an emotional feeling of a vehicle that’s more than it appears to be?”

 

Who talks like this when discussing a vehicle name? I think they came up with the name that sounded cool and then created a fake backstory for it 😂

I can assure you most marketing people are up their own ass. It'll be an ad for a bike and the marketing material will be like "A dynamic way to transcend the human condition and become one with who you were meant to be". 

 

I, for one, want this sort of culture to die in advertising and corporate culture overall. We sell grills Debora, stop talking about how we make products for "bold trendsetters to live their best life". 

[BenKohnen]

2 minutes ago, T-dubz said:

From the article:

“What communicates depth below the surface? How do we communicate an emotional feeling of a vehicle that’s more than it appears to be?”

 

Who talks like this when discussing a vehicle name? I think they came up with the name that sounded cool and then created a fake backstory for it 😂

Even if it was name first then fill in the back story, I prefer that to the alphanumeric jumble of dumb too many vehicle names have been. XR357T and such.

[T-dubz]

34 minutes ago, Sherminator98 said:

 

Using the Slate as an example:

 

 

From what I can find what Ford is using in the UEV:

 

 

Not sure how much difference between the two are, but Ford is really pushing the Aerodynamics end of things with the Fathom, so if they are using same battery or if this prismatic battery is slightly better, maybe you'll see a a roughly 15%/30-50 mile increase over the Slate if using the same battery size. 

I would guess that the slate is also significantly lighter than this truck will be, based solely on the fact it’s a single cab truck with extensive use of plastic. So slate is lighter but fathom is more aerodynamic. If the batteries were the same, you could possibly see similar range. I have no idea how weight or aero affects range though. One might impact it more than the other. If I had to guess, I’d say 230-240 range is where this will fall with extended range right at 300.

[Zestyg]

Since the Ford employee on reddit said to look at the flipbook for easter eggs, here is what I noticed:

midgate (matches patent and the surfboard just couldn’t fit otherwise)

 

Pro power onboard (twice):

 

there does seem to be a center bump in the hood, which would mean I was off about the hood and the snow videos are probably pretty close to actual hood shape:

 

there is also a shot of a Fathom owner buying a house, which means that the Ford Fathom will also be acceptable as a form of currency for a down payment on a house.

 

[Sherminator98]

26 minutes ago, T-dubz said:

Again, I wonder how much ford could have saved on this vehicle by not including blue cruise, midgate, bidirectional power, power tailgate (if the focus group user is to be believed), etc. these are all options that rarely get used and only add to the price of a vehicle. Without them, the price could drop significantly and be more in line with the slate. 28k seems like a decent price, but 25k seems a whole lot better.

 

I know some of these are optional, but I doubt ford will offer versions with and without he midgate, and ford pre-installs all the blue cruise hardware regardless if you subscribe to blue cruise or not, so you still technically pay for it.

 

Your missing the point-some of these options can be added because this will be a software defined vehicle-they won't need additional subsystems to work like they currently do now on other products.

 

Outside of the midgate, I don't think that those other things add all that much weight and or cost to the vehicle. 

 

 

[Sherminator98]

22 minutes ago, T-dubz said:

I would guess that the slate is also significantly lighter than this truck will be, based solely on the fact it’s a single cab truck with extensive use of plastic. So slate is lighter but fathom is more aerodynamic. If the batteries were the same, you could possibly see similar range. I have no idea how weight or aero affects range though. One might impact it more than the other. If I had to guess, I’d say 230-240 range is where this will fall with extended range right at 300.

 

I wouldn't say that-

 

Slate pickup: 4000-4300 (suv) (65-63 kwh battery)

Mach E: 4,398 pounds to 4,993 pounds (72kwh battery on the low end)

 

I'd expect that the Fathom will be very close to the Slate, given how much care Ford has been putting into improving the range without a bigger battery.  

[blazerdude20]

They made a point to mention a digital key but not phone as a key. Hopefully this means Ford is using the next generation of digital keys (Ultra Wideband) like Rivian and Tesla have done in the last year. Those work nearly flawlessly compared to the Ford PAK that i can literally stand next to my Expedition with the Ford app and key open on the screen and it still wont unlock 50% of the time. 

 

I do also wonder if this means they will get rid of a start button on the Fathom. Just opening the door with a digital key "starts the car". 

Edited August 6 by blazerdude20

[Oac98]

3 hours ago, Sherminator98 said:

 

Guess I was right LOL

Close enough yes 

[T-dubz]

40 minutes ago, Sherminator98 said:

 

Your missing the point-some of these options can be added because this will be a software defined vehicle-they won't need additional subsystems to work like they currently do now on other products.

 

Outside of the midgate, I don't think that those other things add all that much weight and or cost to the vehicle. 

 

 

If blue cruise is using hardware that would otherwise already be on the vehicle and repurposing it, then that’s a different story, but I didn’t think that was the case. I thought it required additional sensors and cameras.

 

I think ford’s plan here is to get more vehicles with blue cruise on the road so that they can make more money from subscriptions and offset the lower vehicle price. They probably could offer an even more affordable version like I suggested earlier, but that wouldn’t be nearly as profitable as monthly subscriptions rolling in.

 

[rmc523]

1 hour ago, Deanh said:

Ill let Ford release the breakdown...Im tentative mentioning anything for fear of getting the Dealer Principle in trouble, but a LOT was shared at the Dealer meeting that got me excited...and Im a rather hard sell...ESPECIALLY with Electric....Im hoping the buyers are less "douchey" than the Mach E and Lightning clients...

 

Completely understand!

 

Good to hear it sounds promising.

 

I imagine with Mach E and Lightning that there was a lot of built-in expectations for those products based off the Mustang and F-150 names, so naturally you'll get a particular crowd with feelings one way or the other.

 

Perhaps this Fathom, which is clean sheet/new across the board (product, design approach, platform, name, etc, etc), will get a more open-minded reaction from buyers?

 

1 hour ago, T-dubz said:

Again, I wonder how much ford could have saved on this vehicle by not including blue cruise, midgate, bidirectional power, power tailgate (if the focus group user is to be believed), etc. these are all options that rarely get used and only add to the price of a vehicle. Without them, the price could drop significantly and be more in line with the slate. 28k seems like a decent price, but 25k seems a whole lot better.

 

I know some of these are optional, but I doubt ford will offer versions with and without he midgate, and ford pre-installs all the blue cruise hardware regardless if you subscribe to blue cruise or not, so you still technically pay for it.

 

As pointed out, a lot of stuff is just software.  But you also have to create value in the product as well.....i.e. "wow, look at all the stuff it comes with for $28k!", vs. a complete stripped model just to reach a $25k price point.

 

FWIW, Borg is also reporting that it won't have traditional trim levels, but will have a few option packages, and that there won't be as much spread between a base and fully loaded model as typical Ford models:

The Fathom only has one trim level with a few option packages with a standard or extended range battery. The option packages are similar to Tesla really; sound system, seats, Blue Cruise, and wheel choices. So there won't be a huge price swing like a typical Ford, and the base spec won't be the penalty box like a typical Ford.

 

1 hour ago, DeluxeStang said:

I can assure you most marketing people are up their own ass. It'll be an ad for a bike and the marketing material will be like "A dynamic way to transcend the human condition and become one with who you were meant to be". 

 

I, for one, want this sort of culture to die in advertising and corporate culture overall. We sell grills Debora, stop talking about how we make products for "bold trendsetters to live their best life". 

 

Yeah, I know they had to somehow hype up a drip feed name/price announcement, but it's dumb.

I also hope that they drastically shrink the debut to launch timeline.....I'll never understand why Ford waits a year between debut and on sale date....kills any momentum they have from the "gotta have it now" crowd after a debut...

 

1 hour ago, Zestyg said:

Since the Ford employee on reddit said to look at the flipbook for easter eggs, here is what I noticed:

midgate (matches patent and the surfboard just couldn’t fit otherwise)

 

Pro power onboard (twice):

 

there does seem to be a center bump in the hood, which would mean I was off about the hood and the snow videos are probably pretty close to actual hood shape:

 

there is also a shot of a Fathom owner buying a house, which means that the Ford Fathom will also be acceptable as a form of currency for a down payment on a house.

 

 

Yup, I noticed the pro-power on board too.

 

That surfboard image may point to it being a bulkhead-only (no window) midgate like in the patents:  I sort of filled in the balance of the surfboard with where their window was drawn.

 

Or I could be grasping at straws lol....

 

[Sherminator98]

5 minutes ago, T-dubz said:

If blue cruise is using hardware that would otherwise already be on the vehicle and repurposing it, then that’s a different story, but I didn’t think that was the case. I thought it required additional sensors and cameras.

 

Some of those sensors would be used for other things like collision pre assist, lane keeping and Cruise control that are already found on lower end products like the Bronco Sport and I guess Maverick. I'm guessing Ford is looking at how they can combine these sensor packages to make them cheaper/easier to replace. 

[Sherminator98]

1 minute ago, rmc523 said:

I imagine with Mach E and Lightning that there was a lot of built-in expectations for those products based off the Mustang and F-150 names, so naturally you'll get a particular crowd with feelings one way or the other.

 

Perhaps this Fathom, which is clean sheet/new across the board (product, design approach, platform, name, etc, etc), will get a more open-minded reaction from buyers?

 

 

FWIW, Borg is also reporting that it won't have traditional trim levels, but will have a few option packages, and that there won't be as much spread between a base and fully loaded model as typical Ford models:

The Fathom only has one trim level with a few option packages with a standard or extended range battery. The option packages are similar to Tesla really; sound system, seats, Blue Cruise, and wheel choices. So there won't be a huge price swing like a typical Ford, and the base spec won't be the penalty box like a typical Ford.

..

 

 

 

Nah I think some early adaptor EV owners where/are pretentious because they look at the vehicle as an extension of themselves and think they are doing something better then other drivers out there, sorta like how hybrids where with the Prius-it was a status symbol till it wasn't. 

 

So with going on what Borg is saying, no AWD option for it?

[rmc523]

6 minutes ago, Sherminator98 said:

 

Nah I think some early adaptor EV owners where/are pretentious because they look at the vehicle as an extension of themselves and think they are doing something better then other drivers out there, sorta like how hybrids where with the Prius-it was a status symbol till it wasn't. 

 

So with going on what Borg is saying, no AWD option for it?

 

Maybe extended range comes with AWD?

 

I find it hard to believe they wouldn't have that option as well.