If you know your history, the main significance of the Ford Model T is less about the car itself and more about the method of its production. The assembly line method strayed from the then-traditional and expensive coachbuilding process, and thus, Ford was able to crank out a high number of them at a cost accessible to the average American.
Today, Ford CEO Jim Farley and a team of executives revealed what they call the company’s next ‘Model T moment’ with the introduction of the Ford Universal EV Production System, a twist on the standard assembly method specific to the future of Ford’s electric vehicles.
The system itself is, in the simplest of terms, a branch of three sub-assembly paths that converge into one in a way that optimizes specific areas of production for the crews attending to them. Until they come together, the sub-paths run parallel to each other, shortening the start-to-finish assembly time of each vehicle while making each module easier to access by the folks along the line.
OTHER STORIES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:
Toyota Tamaraw pickups will officially go racing in PH next year
Toyota could be bringing the GR Corolla to PH in 2026
“Cool,” you say, but worth interrupting your afternoon snack for? On its own, probably not, but with this announcement comes the reveal of the Ford Universal Electric Vehicle Platform (FUEVP), upon which future Ford EVs will be built. This new platform will unify the production of Ford EVs in a way not unlike Volkswagen’s MEB platform, which the Europe-only Ford Capri is built on, incidentally. We can’t help but wonder if this kicked off a whole “why aren’t we doing this?” conversation back at Dearborn.
In any case, the new platform, which we will respectfully refer to as FUEVP, will sport lithium-ion phosphate batteries designed for more bang for your buck. Essentially, any size and weight saving here is crucial to further savings down the line, including cost for the end user. This, the streamlined assembly process and advanced unicasting, will translate to easier-to-build, affordable, fun-to-drive Ford EVs. That’s the plan, at least.
The first FUEVP will be a pickup truck, specifically a mid-sized four-door targeted to be $30,000 (around P1.712 million) and “as fast as the Mustang EcoBoost,” a sub-5sec car, if we take that to mean 0-100kph. Whether it’ll be called a ‘Ranger EV’ or a new nameplate remains a mystery for now.
We do know that this will be put to work at Ford’s Louisville Assembly Plant, the facility that cranks out Expeditions, F-250s, and Lincoln Navigators, and will secure around 4,000 jobs to make it happen. Production is expected to kick off in 2027, so we won’t have to wait too long to see what’s in store.
NOTE: This story first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
