The automaker\u2019s willingness to change the century-old system that made Ford a household name reflects the high-stakes juggling act of selling a line of affordable electric vehicles that could be made in the United States faster, more efficiently, and with fewer parts, all while preserving profit margins. And as Ford\u2019s chief EV, digital, and design officer Doug Field noted Monday, it\u2019s not just about driving down individual costs, but a change that will allow the automaker to compete with China.<\/p>\n
Ford CEO Jim Farley described the new production system, line of EVs, and $2 billion investment as a bet. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere are no guarantees with this project,\u201d he said during an event livestreamed from the Kentucky plant. \u201cWe\u2019re doing so many new things I can\u2019t tell you with 100% uncertainty that this will all go just right, it is a bet. There is risk.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a bet Farley believes is worth making. The company\u2019s EV division posted a loss of around $1.3 billion in the second quarter of 2025 and sales of its top two EVs, the F-150 Lightning and the Mustang Mach-E, are falling. <\/p>\n
And it\u2019s a bet that began several years ago with a skunkworks team<\/a> of about 500 people in California \u2014 led by former Tesla executive Alan Clarke and filled with talent<\/a>\u00a0from companies like Tesla, Rivian, Apple, and Lucid Motors. The team, which is split between Palo Alto and a new office in Long Beach, developed the new production system and underlying vehicle platform that will be used in the Louisville factory.<\/p>\n Techcrunch event<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSan Francisco The end result is what Ford calls the \u201cuniversal production system,\u201d which changes its single conveyor line into a three-branched assembly tree. Ford has also developed a universal EV platform that will use lithium iron phosphate batteries\u00a0using tech licensed from China\u2019s CATL and manufactured at its new $3 billion BlueOval Battery Park factory in Michigan. That factory, which is expected to come online in 2026, will employ 1,700 hourly workers.<\/p>\n The new EV platform will consist of large single-piece aluminum unicastings that use far fewer parts and will allow the front and rear of the vehicle to be assembled separately on two of the branches. The third branch is perhaps most notable; this is where the structural battery will be assembled with seats, consoles, and carpeting. The three components will come together at the end of the line to form the vehicle.<\/p>\n The end result is an EV that has 20% fewer parts, including 50% fewer cooling hoses and connections, and 25% fewer fasteners, according to Ford. The first EV off the line will be a mid-sized pickup that is about the same size as a Ford Maverick, but roomier on the inside.<\/p>\n Unlike a traditional assembly line, where the workers move along adding the wire harness and other parts to the frame, the EV platform will consist of three kits. Within that kit, all fasteners, scanners, and power tools required for the job are included \u2014 and in the correct orientation for use, according to Ford. The system also reduces the number of dock stations by 40%.<\/p>\n The EV platform will be produced 15% faster, the company said. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve certainly never seen anything in the public domain that looks anything like this,\u201d Clarke told TechCrunch in an interview ahead of the launch. \u201cAnd I think that a manufacturing expert would look at this, and especially if they\u2019ve been in the automotive industry for a few decades, would sort of scoff at it and say, \u2018why would you do it this way?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Clarke is convinced that once manufacturing experts see how quickly a vehicle can go from start to finish, others will attempt to emulate this. <\/p>\n The new format and accompanying EV platform will change how the Louisville factory operates and reduce the number of workers employed there. The transformation will likely ripple through the broader supply chain as well. Ultimately, Clarke says, this will preserve American jobs.<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOctober 27-29, 2025\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/FordUniversalEVProductionSystem_animation_16x9-ezgif.com-video-to-gif-converter.gif\")
Image Credits:Ford<\/p>\n