On the Dash:
- Farley says launching the Fathom will take a major effort.
- The Fathom starts at $28,350, and Ford is building it in Louisville.
- Order books open in early 2027, and Farley has not confirmed a delay.
According to a recent report by Kelley Blue Book, Ford CEO Jim Farley said that launching the Fathom electric pickup will take a major effort. Farley said at an industry event this week, “It’s going to be a heck of an effort to launch at this scale, at cost, on time.”
While Ford plans to start building the Fathom in 2027 at its Louisville, Kentucky, plant, which is in the middle of a multi-billion-dollar retooling, the automaker ended Escape production there in December to make room for the new platform.
Ford named the pickup the Fathom in August and set a starting price of $28,350, or $29,945 with destination, which would make it one of the most affordable new electric vehicles (EVs) on the market. However, the automaker must hit that number while still offering reasonable comfort and equipment, unlike Slate’s bare-bones electric pickup.
Additionally, the automaker is working with new suppliers and has polled owners about the features and configurations they want. Both steps should help Ford build a desirable truck without costly extras.
Last month Farley posted images of a camo-wrapped Fathom test mule in Las Vegas on X. It’s the only glimpse of the Fathom that Ford has made public so far.
The team was out in the desert doing hot weather testing on the new @Ford Fathom and took a detour through Las Vegas to share the new name. Our new midsize electric truck. Coming 2027. https://t.co/OJO7WwVPCv
— Jim Farley (@jimfarley98) September 1, 2026
According to Ford, the five-seat Fathom offers more passenger volume than a Toyota RAV4. It also has a bed and a front trunk. Every truck will be BlueCruise-capable, and Ford has also listed Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, digital key and bidirectional charging.
Notably, Ford’s Universal EV Platform uses far fewer parts and welds than a traditional pickup and replaces the moving assembly line with an assembly tree. Ford builds the front, rear, and structural battery core separately and joins them at the end. Ford began producing lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cells at its Marshall, Michigan, battery plant in June and the company expects launch-ready cells before the end of 2026.
Although the Fathom has been spotted testing on public roads, Ford has not released its range or full specs. Farley also did not confirm a delay or set a timeline. However, order books are set to open in early 2027, with customer deliveries later that year. It’s unclear whether that date will change.
