Ford revealed in February that it was working on an affordable mid-size electric truck to turn its emissions-free fortunes around. We now know a wee bit more about what to expect, so hop in for a quick ride.
It’s named Fathom, and that’s inspired by the company’s effort to understand how people actually live with their vehicles.
To recap, this is the first vehicle that will be built on Ford’s new universal platform, designed to streamline the company’s production process. It’ll start at US$28,350 (just under $30,000 when you tack on destination charges). That’s almost the same as what you’d pay for a gas-powered Maverick.
All-New Ford Fathom: The Midsize Electric Truck Built to Fit Your Life
Ford EV chief Doug Field had said in 2025 that this model wouldn’t be a bare-bones machine just because it’s priced low. To that end, the company’s confirmed it’ll get BlueCruise tech for hands-free driving on the highway, as well as a full-fat infotainment system compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and its own navigation system powered by Apple Maps.
You’ll also get bidirectional power – so the truck can provide battery backup to your home in case of an outage, or top off gadgets – and the ability to unlock and control select in-cabin features with your phone.
Speaking of the cabin, we don’t yet know what the interiors look like, because Ford is keeping it all under wraps for the moment. However, The Autopian has managed to get a glimpse of a test mule out on the road in Long Beach, California, and you can see it in this Instagram Reel.
Unlike some other test wraps, this camo does a much more thorough job of obscuring the truck’s lines and overall shape. According to journalist David Tracy who followed the truck down the street, it appears smaller than the Maverick, and the bed seems to be a 4-ft affair. For reference, that model measures 200 inches in length, with a 4.5-ft bed.
The cab looks fairly conventional, and the aero wheels fitted on will likely help with range. Ford says the Fathom will have more passenger volume than a Toyota RAV4. If you’re still curious at this point, The Autopian has more spy photos for you to get a vague sense of the truck’s styling.
We also don’t know what sort of power, torque, and range figures the Fathom will hit. Ford has confirmed to The Autopian that a battery option will allow for 300 miles (483 km) from a full charge, which led Tracy to conclude that this model’s base variant will likely have less range.
In February, Ford said you could expect a lower cost of ownership over five years than a three-year-old used Tesla Model Y; having 20% fewer parts than comparable vehicles thanks to this new platform might have something to do with that.
The company also promised a 0-60 mph (96.5 km/h) time of less than 4.5 seconds, which is pretty swift.
We’ll have to wait a bit longer to see if all this shakes out, and what the thing actually ends up looking like. Pre-orders open early next year. At that point, the Fathom will go up against the Slate truck, which comes in at $24,950 and offers 205 miles of range.
Will the Fathom whet America’s appetite for smaller trucks? Although it’s not in exactly the same price range, this might also find itself contending with the Kei-car-like Telo Truck, which comes at $41,250 with a 300 hp single-motor RWD setup, 260 miles of range, and a full-size bed.
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