It’s unclear what the initial reaction was when Henry Ford first announced the automaker’s new Model T vehicle in 1908, but Ford’s (F) newest Model T landed with a bit of a dud on Monday.
Ford CEO Jim Farley had hyped the launch of its latest EV entrant as the company’s “next Model T moment.”
The company announced what it’s calling its “new EV platform,” a $5 billion investment in its assembly plant that will allow Ford to assemble a car 40% faster than using traditional processes.
The new EVs produced at the plant will also be manufactured with 20% fewer parts and other electric vehicles and can be manufactured 15% faster.
Ford’s first vehicle to be built on this new EV platform will be a midsize four-door electric pickup truck seating five passengers with a targeted starting price of about $30,000, which is much more affordable than most EVs today.
It is expected to hit the market in 2027.
The midsize truck will use lithium iron phosphate, or LFP, batteries, which are more affordable than batteries using cobalt and nickel. Ford said that it will be the first automaker to make prismatic LFP batteries in the U.S.
“The Model T didn't change the world on its own,” Farley said in a post on X. “The assembly line made them accessible to everyone. 122 years later, Ford isn't just making another vehicle. We're reinventing how vehicles are assembled.”
The Model T didn't change the world on its own. The assembly line made them accessible to everyone. 122 years later, @Ford isn't just making another vehicle. We're reinventing how vehicles are assembled. Learn more here: https://t.co/YPxsP7Zaji pic.twitter.com/mWrRy7FtVX
undefined Jim Farley (@jimfarley98) August 11, 2025
Should investors be more bullish on Ford?
The company is still trying to find its footing in the highly competitive EV space, despite making a $30-billion investment in building out its electric fleet.
Ford’s EV division racked up a $1.3 billion loss in its latest quarter, although Barron’s notes that Ford is the only traditional automaker that discloses the financial performance of its EV division, so it’s unclear how this compares to its rivals.
Despite announcing its new EV manufacturing platform and the upcoming release of an affordable midsize electric truck, Ford’s stock closed down 0.3%.
Some market watchers are questioning why Wall Street has not responded more favorably to Ford's announcement.
“It's notable that Ford, which actually responded to the existential threat of Chinese cars with innovation and investment, has not seen its stock price budget at all,” Matt Stoller, a researcher at American Economic Liberties Project, said on X.
It's notable that Ford, which actually responded to the existential threat of Chinese cars with innovation and investment, has not seen its stock price budget at all.
undefined Matt Stoller (@matthewstoller) August 11, 2025
https://t.co/5f0hXKpy19
However, with the Trump administration eliminating the $7,500 tax credit for buying an EV, investors could be more cautious with the electric vehicle sector in general.
Ford has also said that it is taking a $3 billion loss from President Trump’s tariffs because of supply chain costs, admitting that the tariffs “are biting harder than expected” in its Q2 earnings report.
But the company did appear to get a vote of confidence from at least one important rival after its announcement on Monday.
“Ford basically invented mass manufacturing of large, complex products. Everyone else copied,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on X. “Most people don’t know this.”
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