Ford’s Big-Truck Legacy Could Be a Problem for Its New $30,000 EV Ambition

Observer ^ | 08/19/25 | Abigail Bassett

[nickcarraway]

Ford’s $30,000 electric pickup aims to reinvent its future, but its past may weigh it down.

Last week, under the blistering heat of an August day at a Ford plant in Louisville, Ky., Ford CEO Jim Farley, a self-proclaimed lifelong petrol head, announced a $30,000 electric pickup truck slated for release in 2027. Farley pitched it as a new “Model T moment,” a breakthrough meant to reinvent how cars and trucks are assembled. The company hopes the move will help Ford remain a profitable U.S. automaker despite rising tariffs, softening EV demand, higher labor costs, and a political climate that is increasingly hostile to electrification.

For decades, Ford’s profits have been anchored by the enormous success of its F-series trucks. These full-sized SUVs and pickups are emissions-heavy but hugely lucrative. In the quarter ended June, Ford sold 222,459 trucks—its highest total since 2019. Yet with Ford now committing $5 billion to electrifying its strongest brand asset, that long-standing dominance—and its combustion-first image—may turn into its greatest liability.

Ford’s EV ambition clashes with its image

In 2018, Ford scrapped its sedans and small cars, a decision driven partly by shifting consumer tastes (Americans favor big SUVs) and partly by the company’s own “Built Ford Tough” mantra. Today, Ford still sells one of the least fuel-efficient pickups on the market: the F-150 Raptor R, which gets just 10 miles per gallon in the city and 15 on the highway.

The perception gap between gas-guzzling, image-driven monster trucks and the green promise of EVs is huge–and one that Ford has struggled to close. That gap was evident in 2020 with the rollout of the Mustang Mach-E SUV. The launch fell flat, relying too heavily on the company’s heritage of big trucks and muscle cars, which left both EV buyers and Ford loyalists confused about what the new model represented.

Online Shopping Tools

The divide is further complicated by politics. As Bloomberg notes, about two-thirds of full-size truck owners lean conservative, and Republicans are less enthusiastic about EVs than Democrats. Ford’s crown jewel—the F-series—has become a symbol of excess and power, making it even harder to market a stripped-down, eco-friendly alternative across the political spectrum.

Ford’s EV playbook

Despite the enduring popularity of the F-150, sales of its electric sibling, the F-150 Lightning, have slowed. Lightning sales fell 26 percent during the April-June quarter from the previous year. The Mach-E also stumbled in the latest quarter, with sales dropping 20 percent year-over-year. Ford’s EV division, Model e, posted a $1.3 billion quarterly loss, and the company expects nearly $5 billion in EV-related losses this year.

To turn things around, Ford is borrowing from Tesla’s playbook. At the Kentucky plant, where it is investing $2 billion, the company is adopting a flexible “tree” assembly system in which components are built on separate branches before joining at final assembly. Engineers are also working to reduce the costly wiring harnesses that have burdened EV makers like Rivian. Ford is building a new battery plant in Michigan, and its $30,000 truck will feature a lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery to extend range while keeping costs down.

Meanwhile, Chinese EVs have become formidable competition (primarily in overseas market for now) thanks to their affordability, range and technology. The U.S. government has responded with aggressive measures to curb their import. Even so, Farley himself admitted on a podcast that after spending six months driving a Xiaomi SU7 to and from work, he thought it was “fantastic” and didn’t want to give it up.

Ultimately, Ford’s battle isn’t just with Tesla, Rivian or Chinese automakers. It’s about survival. Wall Street’s response to the $30,000 EV announcement has been cautious. Analysts praise the ambition but question whether Ford can scale fast enough or maintain that price point given tariffs, labor costs and declining U.S. tax credits. Many still consider the stock overvalued.

In truth, Ford’s move may be too little, too late. If this truly is Ford’s new “Model T” moment, then the new electric pickup must do what that historic car once did: be affordable, reliable, and unmistakably Ford. Otherwise, the company’s greatest strength—its big-truck legacy—could become the weight that drags it under.

---

TOPICS: Business/Economy; Computers/Internet; Hobbies
KEYWORDS: nondonor

[Steven Tyler]

Not possible. The gubmint forced automakers to manufacture battery vehicles.
That cost real money for R&D, prototypes, testing and tooling.

The normal fuel vehicles are picking up that tab via higher prices

[Strident]

Ford better hope there’s a lot of posers wanting a truck that don’t really need a truck and who are still enthralled by the magical notion of EV. Can’t these people just buy a 1990s Ford Ranger so they can play like being a real truck owner? Maybe they’re banking on subsidies and credits to amp demand? the Green Gang returning and all that.

[The Antiyuppie]

If they get one single truck in the hands of a consumer somewhere for $30,000 before taxes, “market adjustments”, doc fees, helium in tires, ceramic shield, Rusty Jones, $2,000 floor mats,etched glass, etc., I will eat my MAGA hat.

[oldtech]

You would think by now that Ford would have been asble to read the handwriting on the wall & stop worrying about EVs & start building the stuff that sells. Of course this is assuming they want to stay in business. I’ve never been a Ford fan but have to admit they’ve built some interesting & succesful vehicles in the past. None of them were EVs,even tho some of those had interesting performance traits.

[trebb]

Sounds nice - but you’d lose engine performance and efficiency....on the other hand, cars don’t have to be super-connected either - we have our phones spying on us.