Enough speculation has swirled about Ford’s forthcoming small all-electric pickup truck to fill the bed of an F-350 Super Duty. Today, the Blue Oval lightens that payload somewhat by officially announcing the new EV truck’s name and starting price, while confirming additional tech and capabilities.
This Goes Deep
“Ranchero” had been our guess at the truck’s title, but instead, an entirely new nameplate will be introduced. So here it is: Ford Fathom.
That aligns with the alliterative nomenclature Ford has used in the past with vehicles such as the Fusion, Focus, and Flex. There’s punny meaning behind the name, too. Ford said that in developing the truck it “reached a new depth of innovation, allowing the company to fathom possibilities once thought beyond reach.”
On learning the name, several MotorTrend staffers expressed their bewilderment with Ford’s choice, potentially portending a wider public reaction. But Fathom is official, and will designate what might be the most disruptive Ford since the F-150 Lightning.
Shallow Pockets? Here’s Your Truck
Perhaps any consternation around the name will fade when considering the starting price. The Fathom will begin at $29,945 ($28,350 plus a $1,595 destination fee).
That pricing is with the standard-range lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery, which is of an unknown size. Ford confirmed that it will offer a larger pack, extending driving range for extra cost. The entry-level Fathom will be rear-wheel drive, propelled by a permanent-magnet motor designed and built by Ford. An all-wheel-drive setup that adds an induction motor to the front axle will also be available.
This sub-$30,000 starting price demonstrates Ford’s obsession with manufacturing efficiency in developing the Universal Electric Vehicle Platform that underpins the Fathom and other future EVs. For example, the architecture uses large aluminum unicastings to incorporate more than 100 parts that would otherwise be separate, which simultaneously reduces the amount of fasteners used. Rather than a distinct floor component, the Fathom’s interior parts mount directly to the top of the structural battery.
For comparison, the Fathom’s $29,495 base price makes it roughly $20,000 less expensive than the cheapest versions of the F-150 Lightning in its final year of production. It’s barely more expensive than the 2026 Ford Maverick, which starts at $29,685 for the XL trim with front-wheel drive and no options. A potential rival is the Slate Truck, which starts at just $26,400—but that might be a weaker value given the Fathom’s features.