AbleGuy
Officious Intermeddler
If you don't succeed the first time (the dead Lightning), try, try again!
Perhaps the planned small size of this new venture shows belief in the success of the surprising Maverick?
But hopefully, the picture below is just an initial concept and the final result will Not have that slanted rear cab, because that messes up installation of a cap or small pop up shell.
"Designed to be both affordable and efficient, Ford will build the All Electric (not hybrid) truck sing an all-new "Universal EV Production System," aimed at reducing costs for both the company and consumers. It’s expected to start at around $30,000, match the performance of an EcoBoost Mustang, and offer more interior space than a Toyota RAV4.
Ford is also introducing a new “Universal EV Platform” for this truck and future EVs. This architecture uses 20 percent fewer parts and 25 percent fewer fasteners than a typical vehicle, streamlining production and cutting costs."
As far as why it should be cheaper to build this 'lil truck and cheaper to buy it?
"In addition to improved aerodynamics and a new battery system, Ford said its new EV production line would deploy unicasting for the first time. It's a process that uses giant hydraulic presses to shape molten aluminium into large pieces of the vehicle frame, reducing the number of parts and allowing different sections of the vehicle to be assembled separately.
Tesla famously pioneered this technique, which is also known as "gigacasting." Alan Clarke, a former Tesla executive poached by Ford in 2022 to develop its next-generation EVs, said adopting unicasting would allow Ford to build electric vehicles that are lighter than the competition, including Tesla's Model Y.
"We think that compared to the best one on the market today, we're something like 27% lighter," Clarke told reporters in a Q&A on Thursday.
Ford said that the unicasting approach means that its new electric pickup truck would use just two body parts in its front and rear structure, compared to 147 on Ford's Maverick pickup."
from: https://autos.yahoo.com/ev-and-futu...sing-technique-pioneered-tesla-160046833.html
What is somewhat surprising tho is that FORD also just reported it's shutting down the highly touted brand new Kentucky EV battery $5.8 billion factory just months after opening it resulting in 1,600 workers losing their jobs.
Sooooo, I guess those batteries aren't gonna be needed 
https://www.wkyufm.org/news/2026-02...rds-ev-strategy-then-the-battery-plant-closed
One question remains, who will get out their new small truck, the quickest, Toyota, or Ford? Right now it looks like Ford is going to be in the lead as the Toyota mini truck hybrid is still a couple years away it seems.
Here is a rendering of the Toyota concept mini truck:
(https://www.motor1.com/features/771066/toyota-small-pickup-maverick-rival-horsepower-price-details/)
(Mods...you need to do an in depth story on this news and run it in your headlined news!)
Perhaps the planned small size of this new venture shows belief in the success of the surprising Maverick?
But hopefully, the picture below is just an initial concept and the final result will Not have that slanted rear cab, because that messes up installation of a cap or small pop up shell.
"Designed to be both affordable and efficient, Ford will build the All Electric (not hybrid) truck sing an all-new "Universal EV Production System," aimed at reducing costs for both the company and consumers. It’s expected to start at around $30,000, match the performance of an EcoBoost Mustang, and offer more interior space than a Toyota RAV4.
Ford is also introducing a new “Universal EV Platform” for this truck and future EVs. This architecture uses 20 percent fewer parts and 25 percent fewer fasteners than a typical vehicle, streamlining production and cutting costs."
As far as why it should be cheaper to build this 'lil truck and cheaper to buy it?
"In addition to improved aerodynamics and a new battery system, Ford said its new EV production line would deploy unicasting for the first time. It's a process that uses giant hydraulic presses to shape molten aluminium into large pieces of the vehicle frame, reducing the number of parts and allowing different sections of the vehicle to be assembled separately.
Tesla famously pioneered this technique, which is also known as "gigacasting." Alan Clarke, a former Tesla executive poached by Ford in 2022 to develop its next-generation EVs, said adopting unicasting would allow Ford to build electric vehicles that are lighter than the competition, including Tesla's Model Y.
"We think that compared to the best one on the market today, we're something like 27% lighter," Clarke told reporters in a Q&A on Thursday.
Ford said that the unicasting approach means that its new electric pickup truck would use just two body parts in its front and rear structure, compared to 147 on Ford's Maverick pickup."
from: https://autos.yahoo.com/ev-and-futu...sing-technique-pioneered-tesla-160046833.html
What is somewhat surprising tho is that FORD also just reported it's shutting down the highly touted brand new Kentucky EV battery $5.8 billion factory just months after opening it resulting in 1,600 workers losing their jobs.
Sooooo, I guess those batteries aren't gonna be needed https://www.wkyufm.org/news/2026-02...rds-ev-strategy-then-the-battery-plant-closedOne question remains, who will get out their new small truck, the quickest, Toyota, or Ford? Right now it looks like Ford is going to be in the lead as the Toyota mini truck hybrid is still a couple years away it seems.
Here is a rendering of the Toyota concept mini truck:
(https://www.motor1.com/features/771066/toyota-small-pickup-maverick-rival-horsepower-price-details/)
(Mods...you need to do an in depth story on this news and run it in your headlined news!)
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