The electric vehicle landscape is looking a bit turbulent. After years of seemingly unstoppable momentum, we’re now seeing what some are calling “the great EV pullback”. Even the mighty Tesla has revealed a significant drop in revenue, prompting a raft of deals to shift metal. Add in shifting political winds like the rollback of EV tax credits, and you have a recipe for uncertainty. But it seems Ford is looking to cut through the noise with a move of historical proportions.
In what he’s calling a “Model T moment,” Ford CEO Jim Farley has announced that the company is preparing to unveil a “breakthrough” electric vehicle and an entirely new platform on August 11th. It’s a bold claim, deliberately evoking the revolutionary car that put the world on wheels. But is it just clever marketing, or is Ford truly on the verge of redefining the affordable EV? The project is the brainchild of Ford’s “skunkworks” team, a clandestine group led by none other than former Tesla engineer Alan Clarke. For some time, this team has been working in the background, tasked with a single, crucial mission: to develop a genuinely affordable electric car without the compromises. According to Farley, this isn’t just about making a cheaper Mustang Mach-E. He envisions “a new family of vehicles to the world that offer incredible technology, efficiency, space, and features”.
This new, low-cost platform is the key. While Ford’s current EV business has taken a substantial $1.3 billion financial hit, this new architecture represents a ground-up rethink. The first vehicle built on this platform is slated to be a pickup truck, set for a 2027 release, with a range of other models to follow. This strategy mirrors the original Model T’s success, which became a versatile base for countless applications, not just a single car.Farley has been refreshingly direct about the primary target: low-cost EVs from Chinese automotive giants like BYD and Geely. He acknowledges that to be competitive on a global scale, Ford can’t just tweak its existing methods. “We believe the only way to really compete effectively with the Chinese… is to go and really push ourselves to radically reengineer and transform our engineering supply chain and manufacturing process,” Farley stated.
This “Model T moment” is more than just an announcement; it’s a high-stakes bet made in a challenging market. While competitors are navigating slumping sales and political pressures like tariffs that Ford expects will cost it $2 billion annually, the Blue Oval is doubling down. It’s a classic, bold Ford move, and one that could either secure its future in the electric age or prove to be a costly gamble. All eyes will be on Kentucky on August 11th to see if the spirit of Henry Ford is about to be reborn for the electric era.
