Ford’s Top-Tier Fathom Model Will Cost Under $40k
Ford made waves when it revealed the base Fathom EV pickup would start at under $30,000. This pricing was Ford’s way of answering the affordability challenge laid out by Slate. It was also, perhaps, an indirect admission that it needed to appeal to budget-focused EV shoppers to help fix sluggish EV sales.
This focus on affordability now extends to the top of the lineup. Ford revealed that the range-topping Fathom will start at just under $40,000.
Ford Crunches the Numbers for Fathom Affordability
Andrew Frick, head of Ford’s Model e division, made the admission during an interview with the Detroit Free Press. Frick revealed that while the base Fathom would start at $29,945 (including the destination charge), a range-topping version would start in “the high $30,000 range.”
This potential pricing ladder could be a game-changer in the EV market. The average new vehicle in the U.S. now sells for more than $50,000, according to Kelley Blue Book, and EVs command a premium over even that. That puts many of them out of reach for budget-focused buyers. The Fathom’s pricing aims to change this. If Frick’s statement about pricing at the top of the lineup holds true, the truck could be a very tempting pick for savvy buyers.
“It’s not just the EV market, it’s actually opening us up to a massive total addressable market,” Frick told the newspaper. “We expect Fathom … to attract new and used EV buyers, but also (gasoline) and hybrid customers, especially because we’re going to have much lower operating costs than even a mainstream hybrid vehicle.”
Fathom Will Be Well-Equipped
The Slate pickup comes with manual windows and swaps the touchscreen for a simple smartphone holder in its default spec. In contrast, Ford promises the Fathom pickup will offer buyers plenty of standard equipment. This includes a built-in touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard. Ford’s BlueCruise feature is also available on the truck, but look for it to be a subscription-only service. Lastly, Ford says the Fathom can even power your home in the event of a power outage thanks to its bidirectional charging system and wall-mounted Home Charging system.
Ford is keeping other features close to the vest for now. Look for more details closer to the truck’s official launch. Ford also used the opportunity to highlight other things the Fathom will bring to the table when it arrives in 2027. The company has said it will not only have more space than a Toyota RAV4, but it can also be as fast as a GR Corolla. This combination of passenger room and speed will provide a unique selling point to the truck, but it will be interesting to see how all of this works out in real-world use.
Ford Is Using Fathom to Launch New EV Platform
In addition to the challenge it has in giving customers more of everything, the Fathom is also challenging Ford in new ways. The truck will be the first model to be built on Ford’s new Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) platform. This platform will debut some new production and construction techniques in an attempt to cut costs and simplify vehicle production.
Giant Unicastings Simplify Fathom Production
Ford’s new production methods include the use of giant aluminum unicastings. These castings play a key role in reducing production complexity, helping Ford remove 146 components from the manufacturing process. This process also uses three different assembly lines, with each piece of the truck having its own manufacturing line. The three sections are eventually joined together toward the end of the line in another attempt to reduce complexity. After the Fathom makes its way to dealerships, Ford will expand the platform to other applications. Rumors suggest several SUVs will ride on it over the next few years.