Ford made a significant pivot earlier this year when it announced that it would pursue a less aggressive push toward fully electric vehicles in favor of a more holistic approach that includes gasoline and hybrid vehicles. As part of its altered strategy, CEO Jim Farley revealed that the automaker is also working on a low cost Ford EV platform with intentions to debut the platform’s first variant in late 2026. That architecture is currently being developed by a “skunkworks” team led by a former Tesla executive in California, and based on a recent announcement, the team will be staying put in the state, but moving into a new facility in 2025.
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson announced the news on social media after he held a press conference featuring Ford EV chief Doug Field and Alan Clarke, executive director of advanced EV development, in attendance. The city will host a new campus that is expected to open in 2025, and marks Ford’s return to Long Beach after 65 years. The new facility will coexist with the new Product Development Center in Dearborn and Greenfield Labs, which is based in Palo Alto. Up to 450 members of the team will eventually relocate to the new campus. Ford picked Long Beach due to the talent that resides in the area.
Currently, the team is working on a $25K Ford EV with a footprint that may resemble a compact crossover. Reports indicate it will initially be produced at the Louisville Assembly plant, currently home to the Ford Escape and Lincoln Corsair. The push to roll out a more affordable EV came out of Farley’s trip to China, where manufacturers in the country have released significantly inexpensive vehicles, such as the BYD Seagull, which Farley says is a major threat to the company. In addition to the 2026 EV, the automaker is looking to expand on the platform with a small, fully electric pickup truck.
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