06/16/2026
Ford Motor Co.’s $30,000 midsize electric pickup, which CEO Jim Farley says is the company’s answer to low-cost Chinese EVs that threaten the industry, is coming into clearer view ahead of a 2027 launch.
The automaker recently started testing prototypes in California, near a secretive development center in Long Beach. Those prototypes are heavily camouflaged but include a scannable QR code that leads users to a special Ford website featuring new video footage of the truck’s side, front and rear.
The site congratulates visitors for “spotting a unicorn,” and includes a welcome message from Alan Clark, vice president of advanced development projects, who touts the site as an “exclusive window into our progress.”
One video shows the truck undergoing winter testing in Northern Michigan. It shows a clear view of the side profile of the truck, as well as images of the front as it slides through snow during stability control tests.
While most details are obscured by the camo, the truck appears to have a deeply raked windshield and short bed, and looks closer in size to the compact Maverick than midsize Ranger, although Ford calls it a midsize. The grille is difficult to distinguish, with boxy black material hiding most details.
The welcome video with Clarke includes a short clip of the rear of the vehicle in what appears to be a warm weather area.
Another short video on the site showcases Ford’s new model program development center where the instrument panel and body are joined together. It’s meant to highlight Ford’s new “unicasting” manufacturing process, which is being adopted to speed development times and reduce complexity and cost.
The Autopian first noticed the QR code and special website after catching spy shots of the truck in California. The outlet’s images showed a unique camo pattern with hearts, teddy bears, flowers, boats and soccer balls, in addition to the QR code.
Ford until now has kept the small truck out of public view, although Ford drove the truck about 100 yards away from media as part of a preview during May tours of the Long Beach EV center.
The automaker plans numerous models on what it calls the Universal Electric Vehicle platform after the pickup launches in 2027. It will be built at Louisville Assembly Plant in Kentucky, where workers formerly built the Escape and Lincoln Corsair crossovers.