2027 Ford Lightning: Ford is now working on the 2027 Ford Lightning as part of its electric vehicle research endeavor. The car is being built in Long Beach, California, a city that Ford used to own but has since left. Ford’s new Electric Vehicle Development Center (EVDC) will house a previously secretive skunkworks team directed by Alan Clarke, Tesla’s former chief engineering officer who joined Ford three years ago. The EVDC will also house hangars that will power the future of commercial air travel and spaceflight. FordTrend, an online news site, also confirmed this in its most recent report.
The team is now working on a platform that will support a number of future Ford electric cars, such as an economical midsize electric pickup truck and a small SUV that will come out in 2027. The work being done in the Long Beach facility, which we went to see, is meant to change a lot of the company’s traditional car-making methods.
Instead of moving a car from idea to production in a planned way through different design, aerodynamics, packaging, and engineering teams (and often back again when problems come up), Clarke’s team of 350 engineers, designers, and other technical staff are working closely with outposts in Palo Alto, California, and Dearborn as they guide Ford’s first second-generation EV, which Ford just confirmed will be a mid-size pickup, to production.
The team works in a way that is similar to Clarke’s team at Tesla. They match aerodynamicists with designers, enclosure engineers with chassis engineers, and body engineers with powertrain engineers. Clarke told us that the team’s purpose is not only to question what they think and what they can do, but also to comprehend each other’s problems and feel for each other.
Other benefits are harder to get, but they are just as vital. “One advantage could be, ‘Hey, your part accomplishes the same thing as mine. Maybe this could be one of those parts.’
“So, when you start celebrating two people who can get rid of their work by getting rid of their component, then they can both work on that component and double the quality, the product becomes cheaper, and the customer doesn’t notice,” Clarke added.
Ford CEO Jim Farley set some big ambitions for the EVDC team. They need to produce a low-cost, modular EV platform that starts at roughly $25,000, competes with Chinese EV companies and Tesla around the world, and makes money within a year.
Clarke seems sure that Ford’s EV experience, manufacturing skills, and new flexibility will help Ford’s new affordable EV do well in Long Beach, even though there are rumors of a new Chevrolet Bolt, a stripped-down Tesla, a $27,000 Slate pickup, and cheap Chinese cars. “I don’t think being first is going to win here,” he said.
I think the key to making this happen is to invest in the correct technologies, like the right battery, powertrain, power electronics, and software. “You can’t just do one thing.”
Ford is going to make a huge statement on electric vehicles next week, which it calls its “next Model T moment.” This means we might not have to wait long to see the new 2027 electric pickup truck that is being made in Long Beach.
2027 Ford Lightning Reviews
The Blue Oval said last April that the next-generation Ford F-150 EV, which would probably still be called the Ford F-150 Lightning, would not be made until 2026 instead of 2025 at the company’s BlueOval City Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center, which is still being built.
At the time, the car company said that the change was made because consumer demand was changing. This meant that they thought their resources were better used to produce more hybrids as sales in that market grew. Now, the next-generation Ford F-150 EV has been delayed again.
FoMoCo said today that the production of the next-generation Ford F-150 EV, codenamed Project T3, has been pushed back for the second time, this time until the second half of 2027. The company said it is using all the feedback it has received from F-150 Lightning customers to make the product better in that area, with “features and experiences never before seen on any Ford truck,” such as bidirectional charging capabilities and advanced aerodynamics.
The carmaker is also taking advantage of lowering battery prices as the market continues to grow. They are doing this by making their own low-cost EV platform, which should help the next-generation Ford F-150 EV.
Ford CEO Jim Farley has given us some clues about what we can anticipate from the future F-150 EV. He said that the car will have a futuristic look that is like a “Millennium Falcon with a porch,” which is a reference to the famous Star Wars spaceship.
Farley also said that the next-generation F-150 EV would be a better choice than the Tesla Cybertruck. He called it “one of the most exciting vehicles I’ve ever seen in my career.”
“Its performance is amazing, unlike anything else, and it has features that are completely new for truck customers, like a super-flexible cabin that feels like a lounge or a small office.”
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2027 Ford Lightning T3
The F-150 Lightning went on sale in May 2022. Now, Ford, specifically its Ford Model e business, is working on a new electric truck for the US market. It’s called “Ford Project T3,” and here’s everything we know about it so far:
Ford CEO Jim Farley Jr. hinted during the SOP (Start Of Production) Launch of the F-150 Lightning on April 26, 2022, that the new Ford electric truck is not the next-generation F-150 Lightning, as was previously thought.
- It is smaller than the F-150 Lightning and is built on a different basis.
- The BlueOval Electric Vehicle Center in Stanton, Tennessee, will start building it in 2028.
- When it comes out at US dealers, it is estimated to cost around $50,000.
- Indicated to give an EPA-est. range of more than 400 miles
Next-Gen 2027 Ford Lightning
Ford filed a trademark application for the “F-200” with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on August 28, 2023. This led to media speculation that the “Ford F-200 Lightning” was their new electric pickup truck.
We are sure that Ford will keep the Lightning brand for its Project T3 pickup truck, no matter what name it ends up with. In its Q3 2023 earnings call, Farley Jr. called the new model the next-generation Lightning:
Our products aren’t the same, but they are in the same market. We know how people use them extremely well, but the new features will be different. I think the F-150 is the best example at Ford.
We have a world-class internal combustion engine (ICE). We also have a hybrid that will probably have a 20% blend. Finally, we’re working on the Lightning and the next-generation Lightning right now.
2027 Ford Lightning Features
The Ford T3 will seem more futuristic than the Cybertruck, but not as crazy. It will be sleeker and more aerodynamic than the F-150 Lightning, with a sleeker shape and better drag-reduction features. It will have a split cab, which is a typical feature on most electric pickup trucks.
The teaser (below) shows that the Ford T3 will have a sharper windshield. This will let air flow more smoothly over the body, which will use less energy and, therefore, give it a longer range. The low aerodynamic drag also cuts down on vibration and wind noise, making the ride smoother for the driver and passengers.
The Ford T3 in our drawings has a very different design from current Ford pickups. This is mostly because of its shape and proportions. The forward-cab layout, steeply sloping A-pillars, and low hood are all things that Ford pickups don’t usually have. But this clay model also shows that Ford is thinking about this style for future pickups.
The Ford T3 pickup truck may seem significantly different from the F-150 Lightning and all other Ford pickup trucks. The daytime running lights that go all the way across the closed top front fascia make the EV look wider.
There may be distinct portions for the low and high beam headlights in the lower region, which may be mostly hidden. The front piece may be much deeper than typical, going almost to the floor of the vehicle, and it may have a sliding drawer underneath.
Independent
The Ford T3 will let cars drive themselves on hundreds of thousands of roads in the US and Canada. The F-150 Lightning can now do this on more than 130,000 miles of split roads in North America, and future models will probably be able to do much more.
This truck’s goal is that on a sunny day on the highway, you can take your eyes off the road and know how to drive securely, so you can get more work done and get time back every day when you buy it.
More Efficient
Farley Jr. also told Schmidtke that Ford’s T3 electric truck will have a range of 100 miles. The F-150 Lightning has an EPA-estimated range of up to 320 miles, so the next-generation electric truck could have an EPA-estimated maximum range of around 420 miles.
At Bernstein’s 38th Annual Strategic Decisions Conference, Farley Jr. talked further about Ford’s intentions to make its second-generation electric cars more efficient. He explained how changes to the car’s aerodynamics and braking system could help:
Every watt and ampere counts. A full-size vehicle, even one that is tuned for aerodynamics, is better than a Lightning, which has a range of 75 miles. The battery costs $3,000.
Aerodynamics and other braking systems that cost more but work better for recovery, as well as re-engineering the car to make the battery smaller because it costs a lot, will change the game for the vehicle.
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2027 Ford Lightning Platform
Farley Jr. told Automotive News in December 2021 that Ford would build vehicles that aren’t currently available on a new full-size truck platform at BlueOval City. On June 1, 2022, at Bernstein’s 38th Annual Strategic Decisions Conference, Farley Jr. told Bernstein Senior Analyst Toni Sacconaghi that Ford is in the final engineering stages of its advanced electric architecture.
Farley told Tom Moloughney of the State of Charge YouTube channel in April 2023 that Ford has finished developing its second EV platform. He also indicated that the business is following in the footsteps of Tesla and Apple by doing as much development as possible in-house.
For instance, they will design the T3’s electrical system and all of its software controls in-house instead of hiring outside companies to do it. Farley ended by saying that the T3 will be a fully software-upgradeable vehicle, which means that customers will be able to change more than just the electronics inside the car.
Ford is working on two platforms just for electric vehicles. The smaller “GE2” platform will be used for cars and crossovers, and the “TE1” platform for trucks will be used for the Ford T3 electric truck. The F-150 Lightning uses a modified version of a gas-powered truck chassis.
Ford IonBoost+ Battery
At Capital Markets Day 2021 on May 26, 2021, Farley Jr. said that Ford will make a “IonBoost” lithium-ion battery out of special pouch cells with a unique chemistry. This battery will have Ford’s own battery control algorithm and will work with larger vehicles like trucks and SUVs. Thai-Tang also said at the same event that “IonBoost+” will be the name of Ford’s next-generation battery technology.
He went on to say that the business thinks IonBoost+ has the best energy density of any similar cells. IonBoost has an NMC cathode composition, with nickel making up 88% of the material. IonBoost and IonBoost+ are the same thing, but IonBoost+ is the official term.
This cell chemistry (IonBoost+) and Ford’s own battery control algorithm with high-precision sensor technologies give customers more range and efficiency. Our pouch cell structure is unique and perfect for powering bigger vehicles and high-performance items.
Better Charging
The Ford T3 should be able to manage DC fast charging at far higher speeds than the F-150 Lightning. The F-150 Lightning can handle up to 120 kW of direct current with a 98 kWh battery and 155 kW with a 131 kWh battery.
A 150 kW+ DC fast charger can charge the battery from 15% to 80% in around 32 minutes (98 kWh battery) or 38 to 41 minutes (131 kWh battery). Ford probably wants the T3 to charge significantly faster, maybe in less than 30 minutes.
The T3 will almost surely work with Plug & Charge. Customers won’t need to pull out a credit card or smartphone to pay at charging stations that enable it, like Electrify America.
The charging station will be able to talk to the EV and charge the owner’s account automatically. As soon as they plug the wire from the charging station into their EV, the charging session will start.
The T3 electric truck will also have a built-in North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector, which will let it charge at over 15,000 Tesla Superchargers in the US. The V4, the newest version of the Tesla Supercharger, can give up to 325 kW of direct current. Finally, Ford said on August 21, 2024, that the T3 electric truck will have better bidirectional charging capabilities, but they didn’t go into detail.
2027 Ford Lightning Release Date
The Ford T3 truck has been pushed back to 2028, with the first prototype set to come out in 2027. Ford had said that it will start making Project T3 at its BlueOval City car assembly factory in 2026, and this plant would be able to make 500,000 EV trucks a year.
A Ford representative said in August 2025 that mass production had been put back to 2028, but the plant was still on target to make the first prototype in 2027.
of Ford’s annual capital markets event on May 22, 2023, Doug Field, Chief Advanced Product Development and Technology Officer of Ford Model e, said that Project T3 will come in fewer configurations than current Ford trucks, but will continue to be improved over time.
Trust the truck is what Project T3 stands for. You can trust this truck not only for its work but also for the digital age. It’s fully renewable, and it will keep getting better, learning quickly from the moment it leaves the factory and continues to communicate with the factory, and for years after it becomes part of the customer’s life.
Verdict
The 2027 Ford Lightning and Project T3 are examples of Ford’s radical changes to electric trucks. They combine cutting-edge battery technology, futuristic design, and tremendous digital innovation. Ford is a real competitor to Tesla and Chinese electric vehicle makers, even though there have been delays. They offer range, efficiency, and next-generation features that change the pickup truck category. Stay ahead of the curve with more groundbreaking automotive stories—check out our other articles and don’t forget to bookmark our page for the latest news.
