Ford has introduced it’s going to make investments roughly USD5 billion (about RM21.2 billion) in america to boost its competitiveness within the electrical automobile (EV) area. This can see it create practically 4,000 jobs throughout its Louisville Meeting Plant and BlueOval Battery Pack Michigan amenities to ship a brand new pick-up truck in addition to produce prismatic lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries.
All that is centred across the Ford Common EV Platform, which is able to underpin a wide range of EVs that the corporate says will likely be reasonably priced, enjoyable to drive and digitally superior with over-the-air (OTA) updates.
Ford president and CEO Jim Farley says the brand new platform reduces the variety of elements required by 20% versus a typical automobile, which sees 25% fewer fasteners, 40% fewer workstations dock-to-dock within the plant and 15% sooner meeting time. He additionally claimed decrease value of possession over 5 years in comparison with a three-year-old used Tesla Mannequin Y.
The primary mannequin to be constructed on the Ford Common EV Platform will likely be a yet-unnamed, midsize, four-door pick-up truck that’s scheduled for 2027. This can have a goal worth of round USD30,000 (RM127k) and use a wiring harness that’s 10 kg lighter because of 1.3 km much less wiring in comparison with the one discovered within the firm’s first-generation electrical SUV (seemingly referring to the Mustang Mach-E).
Ford additionally says using LFP prismatic batteries allow area and weight financial savings, with the battery pack being a structural sub-assembly that additionally serves because the automobile’s ground for improved dealing with, a quieter cabin and promotes inside area (greater than a Toyota RAV4, apparently). “You may lock your surfboards or different gear in that mattress – no roof rack or trailer hitch racks required,” Farley stated, including that the midsize truck can have a focused 0-96 km/h (0-60 mph) time equal to a Mustang EcoBoost, with extra downforce.
“We took inspiration from the Mannequin T – the common automotive that modified the world. We assembled a very sensible assortment of minds throughout Ford and unleashed them to search out new options to previous issues. We utilized first‑rules engineering, pushing to the boundaries of physics to make it enjoyable to drive and compete on affordability. Our new zonal electrical structure unlocks capabilities the trade has by no means seen. This isn’t a stripped‑down, previous‑faculty automobile,” commented Ford chief EV, digital and design officer Doug Subject.
A brand new EV platform is simply a part of Ford’s huge gamble, as the corporate can be introducing its new Ford Common EV Manufacturing System. As a substitute of a standard meeting line the place parts are added in sequence, Ford believes effectivity may be improved by switching to an “meeting tree.”
The concept is to have the “branches” of the tree being sub-assemblies with their very own strains working concurrently which then be part of collectively. As the corporate explains, massive single-piece aluminium uni-castings substitute dozens of smaller elements, enabling the entrance and rear of the automobile to be assembled individually.
“The entrance and rear are then mixed with the third sub-assembly, the structural battery, which is independently assembled with seats, consoles and carpeting, to kind the automobile. Components journey down the meeting tree to operators in a package. Inside that package, all fasteners, scanners and energy instruments required for the job are included – and within the right orientation to be used,” the corporate stated in its launch.
With the brand new platform and manufacturing system in place, meeting of the upcoming midsize electrical truck might be as much as 40% sooner than Louisville Meeting Plant’s present automobiles. Funding into the Louisville Meeting Plant will see it increase by over 52,000 sq. ft and obtain digital infrastructure upgrades to allow the system.
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