Ford has officially chosen Long Beach as the headquarters for developing its next-generation electric vehicle (EV) platform. This new facility will house Ford’s “Skunkworks” team, which is dedicated to building affordable EVs.
In February, Ford CEO Jim Farley revealed in a media call with investors that the company had been “secretly” working on a low-cost EV platform. According to Farley, a small “skunkworks” team comprising some of the best EV engineers in the world is leading the project. Alan Clarke, a former Tesla engineer of 12 years, spearheaded this team. It includes talent from Rivian, Lucid, Apple, and eVTOL industry leaders like Archer Aviation, Joby, and Hyundai’s Supernal.
Farley explained that their team is engineering a completely different approach, a different product at a different cost with a much smaller battery and different chemistry. They designed the new platform to be flexible and to support several different types of vehicles.
Rex Richardson, Mayor of Long Beach, joined Ford in announcing the establishment of the automaker’s new Advanced Electric Vehicle Development Center on Wednesday. Ford’s chief EV officer, Doug Field, emphasized the importance of the Long Beach facility, stating that it is “a key part of our broader strategy to build the best electric vehicle and technology development” teams in the world. This new headquarters will collaborate with Ford’s Product Development Center in Dearborn and Greenfield Labs in Palo Alto to develop advanced EV technologies and products.
Ford aims to develop vehicles that are as affordable as they are desirable. The company’s EV strategy is proving successful, as Ford was the second best-selling EV brand in the U.S. through May. The Mustang Mach-E was the third best-selling EV, trailing only Tesla’s Model Y and Model 3, while the F-150 Lightning pickup remained America’s top-selling electric pickup.
The new Long Beach headquarters will enable Ford to advance the development of affordable EVs, leveraging top-tier talent and innovative approaches to lead the EV market.
