It’s no secret that Ford Motor Company is looking to diversify its portfolio with more affordable cars, and there’s has been a lot of talk lately about the brand’s return to the affordable sedan segment.
The Blue Oval recently announced plans to launch five new vehicles under $40,000, including a four-door car. This has led to speculation regarding the platform Ford is going to use, with some outlets claiming the C2 architecture, which underpins models like the Bronco Sport, Maverick, and China’s Mondeo sedan, would make a great fit.
As it turns out, Ford may have something else in mind as CEO Jim Farley said last week the company is working on a Tesla Model 3 and Model Y competitor.
Ford’s Affordable EV Has “Radically Different Engineering”
Jim Farley for the first time confirmed the plans during an appearance on Spike’s Car Radio podcast last week. “We’ll have an all-electric affordable vehicle to compete with Model Y and Model 3,” the head honcho said. “I think there’s nothing else like it on the market for these new vehicles coming out from Ford,” he added.
Interestingly, Farley also said Ford will offer hybrid variants for every model, as well as EREVs for towing; this may suggest that a hybrid sedan should not be ruled out either. The executive elaborated on how the EV will be “radically different” from what the company has built so far.
“We really started a skunkworks team in California four years ago, they were basically Formula 1 and Tesla people. You know, my badge didn’t even work in the building, and that vehicle is radically different engineering. I’m really excited to show everyone later this year maybe next year, and it will be coming out next year.”
So there you have it, development of an affordable all-electric four-door Ford is quite advanced, with the market launch expected to take place in 2027. Farley’s comments are certainly very interesting, although it’s not clear if he was talking about a single vehicle that will act as a competitor for both the Model 3 and the Model Y, or two distinct vehicles.
The part about building a Model Y rival is a bit confusing as the Ford Mustang Mach-E already competes with Tesla’s best-selling vehicle. In the absence of any official confirmation, we can only guess that Jim Farley was referring to a Mach-E successor, which should be developed on a dedicated EV platform and not adapted from an ICE platform like the current Mach-E.
Model 3 and Model Y Rival Likely Based on Universal EV Platform
As for the radically different engineering, that will likely be enabled by Ford’s low-cost, flexible Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) platform on which the models are expected to be built.
The first model underpinned by the UEV will be a midsize truck scheduled to debut next year. But the modular architecture will underpin other models as well, with the most affordable of them expected to cost under $30,000. Ford’s CEO previously said the platform could accommodate several “top hats,” including the midsize pickup and likely a compact crossover.
He also said the UEV platform will be a “Model T moment” for the brand, hinting at a complete reset for Ford EVs. Details about Ford’s Universal EV platform are quite scarce, but we do know that the pickup will be rear-wheel drive and “super fun to drive,” according to Jim Farley; mind you, the platform will also offer all-wheel drive configurations, Ford Model e boss Doug Field said.
Future UEV models may also include two- and three-row SUVs, a subcompact and larger sedan, and a van, according to Ford Authority.
The UEV architecture is expected to use smaller battery packs to enable a balance between performance and efficiency. The batteries will likely use lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) chemistry, which is more affordable and durable than traditional nickel-rich lithium-ion cells. Ford will soon start manufacturing LFP batteries under license from CATL at the new $3 billion BlueOval Battery Park Michigan site.
