Ford’s $30,000 EV pickup is getting closer — You may even see one out in the wild

The midsize electric pickup can’t come soon enough. According to Ford, you might see a disguised one on the streets very soon.

When is Ford’s $30,000 EV pickup launching?

Ford is done with the massive electric pickup trucks and SUVs. After discontinuing the electric F-150 Lightning and scrapping plans for a three-row SUV, the American automaker is betting on a new lineup of smaller, more affordable EVs.

The first of which will be a four-door midsize EV pickup, due out next year, that Ford promises will have more interior space than a Toyota RAV4 and a lower cost of ownership than a Tesla Model Y.

With its official debut just around the corner, you might catch a glimpse of one driving in public real soon.

Ford’s CFO, Sherry House, revealed that prototypes are now being built and tested ahead of its 2027 launch during the UBS Auto and Auto Tech Conference last week, on June 3.

Company spokesperson Dave Tovar confirmed the news, telling The Detroit Free Press that prototypes are “out in the wild,” but not in public. Tovar said Ford will begin testing them on public streets in Michigan in the next few weeks. If you’re in the area, be sure to keep an eye out.

The midsize pickup will be the first to launch on Ford’s new Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) platform, which the company claims will significantly lower costs and improve efficiency.

Ford will use new manufacturing methods, such as megcasting, used by Tesla and many others, to reduce parts and complexity.

The method cuts the number of parts from 146 in the current Maverick to just two for the midsize EV pickup.

Another main focus is improving efficiency through aerodynamics and smaller batteries. According to Ford, over half of the aerodynamics team working on the project came from the Fomula 1 world.

Ford claimed earlier this year that the midsize EV pickup’s aerodynamic efficiency is 15% better than “any other pickup truck on the market today,” with a longer driving range at a lower cost.

It will also be the first automaker in the US to use prismatic lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, which will help reduce costs and free up more interior space.

Ford will build UEV-based vehicles at its Louisville Assembly plant starting with the midsize pickup next year.

House confirmed last week that “the project is going well, adding, “We’re on plan for our 2027 launch.”

“It’s going to be affordable, and we think it’s affordable to the point that it’s not just competing against EVs, it’s also competing against gas-powered vehicles as well,” Ford’s CEO said.

Electrek’s Take

While Ford is preparing to introduce its midsize pickup next year, several new or refreshed EVs are now on sale in the US for around $30,000 to $35,000, like the 2027 Chevy Bolt EV, Nissan LEAF, Toyota bZ, and Hyundai IONIQ 5.

A four-door midsize pickup that’s more spacious than a RAV4 and costs less to run than a Tesla Model Y would hit the sweet spot of the US market.

Will Ford deliver on its promises? We will find out shortly. In the meantime, Ford is quickly falling behind rivals in the US EV market, with electric vehicle sales down over 58% through May. In the first five months of 2026, Ford has sold just 12,284 EVs in the US compared to over 34,100 in the same period last year.

The new UEV platform can’t come soon enough.