Just days after Ford said you might see one testing in public, the low-cost EV pickup was caught driving in Long Beach, and it’s even smaller than expected.
Ford tests $30,000 EV pickup ahead of 2027 launch
During the UBS Auto and Auto Tech Conference last week, Ford’s CFO Sherry House said that prototypes were now being built and tested ahead of its 2027 launch.
Company spokesperson Dave Tovar clarified the comments a day later, telling The Detroit Free Press that while Ford is testing prototypes “out in the wild,” they weren’t on public streets quite yet.
Tovar said to keep an eye out as Ford plans to begin public road testing in Michigan in the coming weeks.
While it wasn’t in the Detroit area as expected, Ford’s upcoming EV pickup was spotted for the first time driving in Long Beach.
According to The Autopian, which was the first to catch a prototype out in the wild, the “midsize” electric pickup is likely even smaller than you would imagine.
Spotted driving in front of an old Ford Ranger-based Mazda B-series and an F-150, you can clearly see that the disguised prototype is tiny. Keep in mind, it’s also a four-door model. The Autopian pointed out that the “second row looks fairly large,” but that comes at the expense of a shorter bed.
The bed appeared “modestly-sized,” but practical enough to fit larger items (like a Ford 289 V8 longblock).
Although it was still covered in camouflage, the prototype appeared to have a camera and radar sensors up front.
What we know so far
Ford claims the four-door midsize EV pickup will have more passenger space than a Toyota RAV4. And that’s not even including the front trunk (frunk) or bed. It will also have a lower cost of ownership than a Tesla Model Y, the company said.
Perhaps, most importantly, it will be affordable with prices starting at around $30,000. The pickup will be the first vehicle based on Ford’s Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) platform, which the company is betting on to significantly reduce costs and improve efficiency.
Like Tesla and others, Ford will use advanced new methods, including megacasting, to simplify manufacturing.
The method cuts the number of parts Ford uses to build the Maverick from 146 to just two for the midsize EV pickup.
One of the biggest focuses was on the vehicle’s aerodynamics to improve efficiency. Ford’s Advanced EV Aerodynamics senior manager, Saleem Merkt, said earlier this year that the new midsize electric truck’s aerodynamic efficiency is “more than 15% better than any other pickup truck on the market today and will ultimately result in longer range and lower cost for our customers.”
Ford will also be the first automaker to make prismatic lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries in the US, which are cheaper, lighter, and enable more interior space.
The midsize pickup will be assembled at Ford’s Louisville Assembly plant, with the first customer deliveries scheduled in 2027.
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