Ford is betting $2 billion on a radical factory overhaul to build cheaper EVs faster. The Louisville Assembly Plant will start cranking out a new mid-sized electric pickup priced around $30,000 in 2027.
The big twist? Ford is ditching the 112-year-old moving assembly line. Instead, it’s rolling out a “universal production system” — a three-branch assembly tree that cuts parts by 20%, reduces cooling hoses by 50%, and fasteners by 25%. The build splits into three kits: front, rear, and a structural battery section with seats and carpets. These converge at the end.
Ford’s new EV platform uses large, single-piece aluminum unicastings and lithium iron phosphate batteries licensed from China’s CATL, to be produced in their upcoming $3 billion Michigan BlueOval Battery Park. 
This setup should speed up manufacturing by 15% and chop dock stations by 40%. The automaker expects to employ 2,200 hourly workers at Louisville—600 fewer than today.
The project started with a stealth 500-person team led by ex-Tesla exec Alan Clarke, pulling talent from Tesla, Rivian, Apple, and Lucid. Clarke says industry vets will question this approach but predicts competitors will copy it soon.
Ford CEO Jim Farley admitted the risk during a livestream from the plant:
“There are no guarantees with this project,” he said.
“We’re doing so many new things I can’t tell you with 100% certainty that this will all go just right, it is a bet. There is risk.”
Ford’s EV unit took a $1.3 billion Q2 2025 loss, and sales of the F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E are slipping. This overhaul is critical to staying competitive with China.
UAW is on board, having helped design safer, less physically taxing work processes.
Brandon Reisinger, UAW chairperson at Louisville, said:
“Ergonomics has been taken into it a whole lot more,”
“We should have a healthier workforce. Should be able to go home to your families and not be sore at the end of the day, which is going to be great.”
Ford is offering early retirements and internal transfers to offset job cuts. The plant switches production from the Ford Escape and Lincoln Corsair by year-end to make way for EVs.
This is Ford’s bold move to supercharge EV production while slashing costs and complexity. The gamble could reshape American auto manufacturing or leave the company holding the bag.
