'Project T3' Next-Gen Electric Ford Truck to be built at BlueOval City

[Pitbull2o08]

I'm not convinced that the first T3 vehicle will be an F150 Lightning replacement. There is clearly a market for a body-on-frame electric F150; what Ford needs to do is optimize the engineering for production efficiencies. The new vehicle could be smaller and lighter than the current Lightning, and based on a hybrid skateboard/unibody architecture. What Ford might do, so it can still lump the T3 sales in with the F series numbers, is create a new model - let's call it the F100 - that sells along side the F150, both ICE and electric. That would give Ford the best of both worlds.

Am i missing something? I thought Farley said it won't be. it's going to be a totally different model of truck.

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[On the Road with Ralph]

Am i missing something? I thought Farley said it won't be. it's going to be a totally different model of truck.

LOL - there are some on this forum who (based on "insider" information) strongly believe that the T3 vehicle is an F-150 Lightning replacement. I think they are wrong. First, T3 is more of a platform/architecture like GM's Ultium than a singular vehicle - it will be the basis for an entire family of utility EVs. Next, as some other comments in this thread suggest, there is a certain devotion to frame-on-body pick-ups, and Ford - which probably understands the truck customer better than any company in the world - is not going to leave them without an EV option. The upcoming refresh/redesign of the F-150 in 2026 is a perfect opportunity to optimize the vehicle for both ICE and electric production. It won't be T3 based, but it could share some of the same EV components developed for T3.

As I previously suggested, I think the first T3 vehicles will be a mid-sized truck, followed by an SUV. If anything, they may be the eventual replacements for Ranger/Explorer. I also think a Maverick-sized EV is inevitable. This is sheer speculation on my part, but Ford has recently shown a propensity for creating electric versions of popular vehicles (Mustang, F-150, Transit); that strategy seems to be working and I think it will continue. Also, Ford is very platform-centric - create once, use many times. For example, the C2 platform is the basis for Maverick, Escape and Bronco Sport. It would make sense for Ford to create a C2-sized version of T3 and get three (or more) EVs out of it.

 

[Pioneer74]

https://fordauthority.com/2022/12/next-gen-ford-f-150-lightning-will-arrive-in-2025-report/amp/

 

[lancersrock]

https://fordauthority.com/2022/12/next-gen-ford-f-150-lightning-will-arrive-in-2025-report/amp/

So if the t3 can get 800v and closer to 2.5 m/kw at 70 the real question becomes what will trade in be like for a 23 lariat er with 100k miles at the end of 2026? Google tells me trucks average 30-44% loss in value in 5 years, figure I’ll be on the high side due to miles so maybe still worth $45k?

 

[Pitbull2o08]

So if the t3 can get 800v and closer to 2.5 m/kw at 70 the real question becomes what will trade in be like for a 23 lariat er with 100k miles at the end of 2026? Google tells me trucks average 30-44% loss in value in 5 years, figure I’ll be on the high side due to miles so maybe still worth $45k?

It will not be a replacement for the lightning, so i'd probably wait and compare your lightning with the next gen lightning if/when that happens.

 

[lancersrock]

It will not be a replacement for the lightning, so i'd probably wait and compare your lightning with the next gen lightning if/when that happens.

Honestly as long as it’s big enough for my family of 5, awd, can tow 5k, and has a good bump in efficiency I’ll be in the market. Right now winter is rough in the lightning and if the battery looses 8-10% capacity at 100k it will be time to upgrade anyways.

 

[KevinC]

My question is: Is Ford going to holdback on the best upgrades saving them for T3 and not allow lightning to have anything worthwhile in the next 2 model years. Farley boasted how Ford is going to make changes mid-model to keep things up-to-date like Tesla.

 

[GDN]

My question is: Is Ford going to holdback on the best upgrades saving them for T3 and not allow lightning to have anything worthwhile in the next 2 model years. Farley boasted how Ford is going to make changes mid-model to keep things up-to-date like Tesla.

The Lightning as you see it today won't have any changes made to it. At least that is my opinion, so far it holds true. I said the same thing a year ago. Some were speculating some changes for '23 and well it did change, they took things away. Ford had announced a conversion to Android OS and they couldn't deliver on that.

There will be no more money spent on this design. They got caught with a price increase that pushed limits and interest rates raising. They'll are hoping to maintain their build rate and be able to sell them at close to MSRP for 2 years until the new truck is ready and on the road.

They talked of scaling to 50K-100K units for this truck, but that won't ever happen either. The demand isn't there, unless they drop to Pro ER's as the bulk of the builds. Oh yeah and hope their battery partner quits screwing them over.

 

[luebri]

They talked of scaling to 50K-100K units for this truck, but that won't ever happen either. The demand isn't there, unless they drop to Pro ER's as the bulk of the builds. Oh yeah and hope their battery partner quits screwing them over.

They are doing the ramp up, it is already too far along to pull the plug, their suppliers are already well in the process of getting the associated supply chain ramp in place prior to late summer ramp of Assembly at Rouge.

 

[GDN]

They are doing the ramp up, it is already too far along to pull the plug, so their suppliers are already well in the process of getting the associated supply chain ramp in place prior to late summer ramp of Assembly at Rouge.

If they can, but I don't see the Lightning numbers they predicted, lots of things running against them.

Ford has done a decent job of building up some ICE inventory. I even saw a sale from my dealer - for inventory '22 ICE - $7500 off and .9% financing.

I just think it is going to be a rough year if they don't dial the prices back or change the mix on which model they are building.

 

[IdeaOfTheDayCom]

https://fordauthority.com/2022/12/next-gen-ford-f-150-lightning-will-arrive-in-2025-report/amp/

The wildcard is that they already built and expanded Rouge, which is their current EV only factory, so this new factory and platform are potentially for other models, but both factories could build the next Lightning, Mach-E and Electric Transit vans too.

They just demonstrated an EV Explorer for Europe, so that leaves a few more such as Edge, Ranger, Maverick, and of course the next F series. With all the new rules about banning ICE by 2035 in the US, eventually they’ll need to build F-250 and bigger.

 

[Pioneer74]

The wildcard is that they already built and expanded Rouge, which is their current EV only factory, so this new factory and platform are potentially for other models, but both factories could build the next Lightning, Mach-E and Electric Transit vans too.

They just demonstrated an EV Explorer for Europe, so that leaves a few more such as Edge, Ranger, Maverick, and of course the next F series. With all the new rules about banning ICE by 2035 in the US, eventually they’ll need to build F-250 and bigger.

The electric truck plant at the Rouge worked because Ford reused the body on the ICE F150. All that plant does is final assembly. The body is 90% carryover. I'm being told that all future Ford BEV vehicles will be built on dedicated platforms and not half measures like the current Lightning.

I hope I'm wrong, but the people telling me these facts are the guys working on the models that don't come out for years. They were working on the 2024 F150 refresh as the 2021 new model was being launched.

 

[IdeaOfTheDayCom]

The electric truck plant at the Rouge worked because Ford reused the body on the ICE F150. All that plant does is final assembly. The body is 90% carryover. I'm being told that all future Ford BEV vehicles will be built on dedicated platforms and not half measures like the current Lightning.

I hope I'm wrong, but the people telling me these facts are the guys working on the models that don't come out for years. They were working on the 2024 F150 refresh as the 2021 new model was being launched.

Since Rouge is an all-new and expanding factory, it's definitely designed from the ground up to build BEVs, so the question is which ones will be built there, which ones will be in the new T3 factory.

Since all models will eventually be EV as the 2035 UC ICE bans start to kick in, the older factories will need to make the shift at some point too.

 

[GDN]

Since Rouge is an all-new and expanding factory, it's definitely designed from the ground up to build BEVs, so the question is which ones will be built there, which ones will be in the new T3 factory.

Since all models will eventually be EV as the 2035 UC ICE bans start to kick in, the older factories will need to make the shift at some point too.

There is no battery manufacturing happening there - it is final assembly. They use skateboards to move the bodies through attaching fully assembled batteries, cab interiors, wheels- they can build anything there. Truly other than some chargers we've seen at the end of the line - there is nothing there that makes it EV. It is a big empty building. They could move some of the ICE F-150 final assembly over there and nothing would change.

What is in there that makes it an EV factory?

 

[RickLightning]

T3 isn't Explorer, that is going to be built in Canada, and come to market late 2024, about a year before T3.

I agree there won't be significant changes to the Lightning like a higher charging capacity.

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