Ford Sets Target to Sell 100,000 Fathom EV Trucks in the First Year

Ford is reportedly targeting sales of 100,000 units of its upcoming Fathom electric pickup during the truck’s first year on the market. Reaching that goal would immediately place the Fathom among the best-selling electric vehicles in the United States and make it the best-selling EV from a non-Tesla automaker.

Ford has been developing the Fathom for several years and established a dedicated “skunkworks” development center as part of an effort to rethink how electric vehicles are designed and manufactured. The company has gradually released more information about the truck as its planned 2027 launch approaches.

In July, the Fathom was spotted at a Tesla Supercharger, providing the first indication that Ford’s new electric pickup would use a NACS charging port. In August, Ford revealed the Fathom name and announced that the truck would start at just under $30,000, with a reported starting price of $28,350.

Ford has reworked its approach to manufacturing electric vehicles, as well as its broader vehicle production process, with a specific focus on reducing costs. The goal is to make the Fathom as cost-effective as possible to build, addressing the profitability challenges the company faced with previous-generation EVs.

The Fathom will be the first model built on Ford’s new Universal Electric Vehicle platform. It will also be produced using a new assembly method in which the front, middle, and rear sections of the truck are built separately on different lines before being brought together during the final stages of production. Ford refers to the process as an “assembly tree” rather than a conventional “assembly line,” saying the approach should make EV production more efficient.

Following an approach pioneered by Tesla, Ford is also using large castings to reduce the number of individual components required to build the truck. The Fathom’s electrical architecture was developed from the ground up, while its powertrain will rely on lithium iron phosphate batteries. LFP batteries are less expensive than high-nickel alternatives and can also be regularly charged to 100% without the same concerns associated with some other battery chemistries.

Ford CEO Jim Farley has previously said the Fathom will provide more interior space than the Toyota RAV4, one of the best-selling crossover vehicles in the United States. Ford has consistently described the Fathom as a midsize pickup, although people who have seen the prototypes up close have said its dimensions are closer to those of Ford’s compact, gasoline-powered Maverick.

The Fathom will also be offered with a choice of rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, giving buyers the option to prioritize efficiency or additional traction and performance.

Ford provided another look at the Fathom this week when the company shared video of a camouflaged prototype driving through the streets of Las Vegas. The truck was reportedly undergoing hot-weather testing in the area before making an unexpected detour through the city.

The latest information comes from The Wall Street Journal, which cited people familiar with the matter who said Ford had established an internal target of selling 100,000 Fathom trucks during the first year of sales.

If Ford reaches that figure, the Fathom would immediately become one of the top-selling EV models in the U.S. No automaker other than Tesla has sold more than 100,000 units of a single electric vehicle model in a single year in the American market. Based on current sales rankings, the Fathom could potentially move into third place while becoming the first non-Tesla EV to cross the 100,000-unit threshold.

Ford previously produced one of the best-selling electric pickups in the U.S. with the F-150 Lightning. However, Lightning sales never approached the levels Ford originally expected. The company initially planned for production capacity to reach 150,000 trucks annually, but demand was affected in part by a launch price that ended up significantly higher than the price Ford originally promised.

Despite eventually outselling the Tesla Cybertruck, the F-150 Lightning was ultimately canceled. Ford has said the company learned important lessons from the program, particularly about controlling costs and keeping electric vehicles affordable.

That experience could prove important with the Fathom. Ford plans to begin production in the first quarter of 2027, meaning the launch is now only months away. The biggest question will be whether Ford can maintain the recently announced starting price of $28,350. A firm price could give the Fathom a significant advantage, while another unexpected increase could undermine the affordability that is central to the truck’s appeal.

At that price, the Fathom would immediately compete with the refreshed Chevrolet Bolt as one of the most affordable EVs available in the U.S. It would also enter the market ahead of the upcoming Slate electric pickup, which is expected to start around $25,000. Reports indicate Slate plans to begin deliveries in December.

Ford plans to begin building Fathom prototypes with production-qualified parts in the first quarter of 2027, with customer preorders opening in early 2027. Customer deliveries are scheduled to begin in fall 2027. That means the truck is still roughly a year away from reaching customers, even though Ford is already conducting road and hot-weather testing.

The Ford Fathom will be BlueCruise Capable for hands-free highway driving. A large touchscreen display offers easy-to-use navigation, powered by Apple Maps. A Digital Key, Ford app164 remote control, as well as Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto compatibility are all standard.

If Ford can actually bring the Fathom to market for less than $30,000, the price would be impressive. However, the truck will ultimately need to be driven and evaluated before its overall value can be determined. Purchase price is only one part of the equation, and range, performance, features, efficiency, charging capability and real-world usability will determine how competitive the Fathom becomes.

For buyers looking for the least expensive EVs currently available in America and who prefer a car rather than a pickup, the 2027 Chevrolet Bolt EV and Nissan Leaf are among the options worth considering.