Ford is counting on a new affordable electric pickup to revive its EV ambitions after sales of its current electric models collapsed in the US.
The company sold 6,047 electric vehicles in the third quarter of 2026, an 80.2% decline from the same period last year. The result comes as Ford prepares to launch the Fathom, a new electric pickup priced below $30,000. Electrek
The Fathom is expected to arrive in early 2027 and will be the first vehicle built on Ford’s new Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) platform. Ford says the platform is designed to reduce production costs and make affordable electric vehicles more commercially viable. TechCrunch
Ford’s electric sales take a major hit
Ford’s overall US vehicle sales also weakened during the quarter, although the decline was far smaller than the fall in EV sales.
The automaker sold 509,764 vehicles in the third quarter, down 6.6% year-on-year. Electrified vehicle sales, which include hybrids and fully electric models, fell 41.3% to 50,355 units. Reuters
The figures show just how difficult the current market has become for Ford’s electric vehicle programme. While the company’s total sales declined modestly, its battery-electric business fell at a dramatically faster rate.
F-150 Lightning sales collapse
The F-150 Lightning suffered the biggest decline among Ford’s electric models.
Ford sold only 289 Lightning pickups in the third quarter, compared with 10,005 during the same period in 2025. That represents a staggering 97.1% year-on-year decline. Ford Authority
The Mustang Mach-E also recorded a steep fall. Sales dropped 72.4%, from 20,177 units in the third quarter of 2025 to 5,574 vehicles this year.
Ford’s E-Transit electric van was also affected, with sales falling 57.2% to just 184 units during the quarter. Ford Authority
Fathom arrives at a critical moment
Against this difficult backdrop, the Fathom has become an increasingly important vehicle for Ford’s future EV strategy.
The electric pickup will start at $28,350 before destination charges. With Ford’s $1,595 delivery fee included, the starting price rises to $29,945, keeping it just below the $30,000 threshold. TechCrunch
That price could make the Fathom one of the more accessible new electric vehicles in the US market. Ford is targeting buyers who may have been priced out of larger electric pickups and SUVs.
The company is also promising technology normally associated with more expensive EVs. The Fathom is expected to offer next-generation BlueCruise, bidirectional charging, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and a digital key.
But Ford faces a difficult production challenge
The biggest question is whether Ford can build the Fathom cheaply and quickly enough to meet its ambitions.
Ford CEO Jim Farley recently acknowledged the scale of the challenge surrounding the new UEV platform. He said the company had not yet fully solved mass production and warned that launching the vehicle at scale, at the targeted cost and on time would be difficult. Electrek
Ford has nevertheless maintained that the Fathom remains scheduled for a 2027 launch. The company plans to build early prototypes at its 3-million-square-foot Louisville Assembly Plant in Kentucky. Electrek
Ford is investing about $5 billion between the Louisville facility and its BlueOval Battery Park in Michigan as it prepares for UEV production. Electrek
A 100,000-unit target
Ford’s ambitions for the Fathom extend well beyond simply filling a gap in its electric lineup.
According to a Wall Street Journal report cited by industry publications, Ford is targeting 100,000 Fathom sales during the truck’s first year. Reaching that figure would put the model among the leading electric vehicles in the US market. Electrek
That target, however, will depend on Ford solving both production and demand challenges.
The company is entering a market where consumers remain highly sensitive to price, charging availability and running costs. The end of the US federal $7,500 EV tax credit in September also brought forward purchases before the deadline and added another complication to the sales figures. Electrek
Ford’s affordable EV gamble
The Fathom therefore arrives at a crucial moment for Ford.
A sub-$30,000 electric pickup could attract customers who want an EV without paying the premium associated with many electric trucks. But Ford must prove that it can produce the vehicle at the promised price while maintaining quality and meeting its 2027 timetable.
For Ford, the Fathom is more than another new model. It is a test of whether the company can make affordable electric vehicles profitable at scale.
With EV sales down 80% in the latest quarter, the pressure is now firmly on Ford to deliver.
Sources: Ford, Reuters, Electrek, TechCrunch and Ford sales data. https://www.ford.com/
Read also: Ford’s 70-year gas vehicle factory enters electric future after $2bn transformation
