Get Your Hands On The New Ford EV For Just $28,3501 MSRP

---

Support CleanTechnica’s work through a Substack subscription, on Patreon, or on Stripe. Help us produce all of the high-quality, original content we publish week after week despite the challenges of content-scraping AI, antisocial media, inflation, and other hurdles.

---

Wait, the Ford what? Yes, it’s true. Ford has finally released the closely guarded name of its forthcoming midsized electric pickup truck, and it’s not what anyone thought. Some Ford followers have been guessing Ranchero since last year, though Ranger seems a better fit. The answer is, neither. It’s Fathom, as in the new Ford Fathom EV with an MSRP of $28,3501, going mano-a-mano against gasmobiles for the attention of budget-centric drivers.

Finally, The Ford Fathom EV Is Here

Ford has been dropping hints about the new Fathom EV over time, spreading word that it tasked a secretive “skunkworks” team with developing an affordably priced EV from the ground up. The team was housed in California, far away from the humdrum of activity in Detroit. Earlier this year Ford let the secret fully out of the box, disclosing that the team’s first project is a midsized electric pickup truck with an affordable price tag. The company also staged an open house at the California complex to show off the team’s state-of-the-art, EV-centric equipment and systems.

That’s where things stood at the beginning of this summer. The only big mystery was the name of the truck. Now there is still a big mystery, and that is why Ford tapped Fathom over every other possible name under consideration, of which there were hundreds.

Fathom sounds a bit like Phantom, though the reference to early 20th century automotive culture is probably an illusion. In a long form press statement explaining the “naming journey,” Ford notes that the team turned the clock back almost as far as the Model T, trying out Galaxie and Taurus (oh god, not the Taurus) for size along with the Ranchero.

Either way, with the Fathom, Ford aims to scoop up drivers who feel like Ford gets them.

“The blueprint for Ford’s new midsize electric truck — from the engineering to its name — came from one place: a deep understanding of the person who would drive it,” Ford insists, adding, “Their day. Their challenges. Their goals. Even their wallet.”

“Which meant the name had to do more than sound good. It had to capture a mindset, shifting the focus from specs to a spirit of adaptability,” Ford elaborated in a press statement.

“What communicates depth below the surface? How do we communicate an emotional feeling of a vehicle that’s more than it appears to be?” Ford asks in a burst of existential enthusiasm.

What’s In A Name?

Hmmm…Fathom…I’m still not convinced. Maybe it’s that flat “a” in the first syllable, followed by an “um” that strikes a note of uncertainty. Ford followers, what do you think? Is this what you expected?

Nevertheless, Fathom it is. Ford cites the dictionary definition:

fath·om | ˈfa-thəm

noun 1: a unit of length equal to six feet, used chiefly in measuring the depth of water 2: archaic the span of a person’s outstretched arms

verb 1: to measure the depth of; to sound 2: to penetrate and come to understand

If you’re wondering why Ford didn’t simply borrow from its F-series, that’s a good question. The company did get off to a good start with its F-150 Lightning full-sized electric pickup, but the decision was made to go off in a new direction.

“But we’ve been committed to doing things differently with this truck from the beginning. It’s in its DNA. And so, we wanted to choose a name — to give the vehicle personality, a soul, and make it a character in our customer’s life,” Ford explains.

Apparently that took some doing. Kind of like growing a new human being inside of you. Coincidentally or not, Ford indicates that it took the team nine months to settle on a name.

The Affordable EV With An MSRP Of $28,3501

Interested? Ford won’t start taking pre-orders until early next year, but starting now you can sign up here for a pre-order invitation. Ford provides more details about the new EV here, and you can presumably get even more particulars by filling out this form.

A quick rundown of the juicy bits:

The MSRP of $28,3501 is a starting price that applies to a “standard-range” battery

Bidirectional charging is included, meaning you can run home appliances and other gear from the EV battery, and potentially participate in your local utility’s demand-response programs

BlueCruise, Apple CarPlay, and Android auto capability come with every Fathom, and BlueCruise is integrated with Apple Maps.

A digital key is part of the package

Of course, the 800-pound elephant in the room is the price of gas at the pump, which has rocketed upwards since February 28, when US President Donald Trump decided to attack Iran, motivating that nation to effectively shut down the key Strait of Hormuz shipping route. The lifetime cost of owning an EV (TCO or Total Cost of Ownership) already compared favorably against gasmobiles before February 28, due to the relatively low cost of electricity and the potential for saving money on maintenance. Now the TCO is better than ever (try this handy cost calculator to see for yourself).

Next Steps For The US EV Market

Now that the Tesla Cybertruck is safely out of the running in the electric pickup truck space, Ford has a chance to pick off some of the leavings. Pickup trucks are hugely popular in the US whether or not one really needs a pickup truck to go about one’s daily business.

With an MSRP below $30,000, the automaker also has an opportunity to help restore EV sales momentum in the US. Interest in EVs fell off a cliff last year after the Republican majority in Congress axed the $7,500 federal EV tax credit last September. However, some bright spots persist, and activity has been stirring in the startup field, particularly in the area of pickups.

Keep an eye on Rivian, which somehow managed to secure a $4.5 billion (that’s billion with a “b”) Energy Department loan to build a new factory in Georgia. The Jeff Bezos-backed venture Slate Auto is also still on track to move its stripped-down pickup into the market.

Another up-and-comer is the Scout Motors affiliate of Volkswagen, though the company offers an extended-range version for its forthcoming vehicles in the form of a gas engine to recharge the battery as needed. As of this writing, the range-extended iteration has attracted more reservations than the 100% battery pickup.

TELO Trucks is also still in there pitching a city-sized pickup, seen just last month pulling a full sized battery-enabled RV from the manufacturer Pebble.

Image: Ford is still playing its forthcoming midsized electric pickup truck close to the vest, but the EV finally has a name: Fathom (screenshot courtesy of Ford).