'Project T3' Next-Gen Electric Ford Truck to be built at BlueOval City

[Pioneer74]

There is no battery manufacturing happening there - it is final assembly. They use skateboards to move the bodies through attaching fully assembled batteries, cab interiors, wheels- they can build anything there. Truly other than some chargers we've seen at the end of the line - there is nothing there that makes it EV. It is a big empty building. They could move some of the ICE F-150 final assembly over there and nothing would change.

What is in there that makes it an EV factory?

It would actually be very difficult to produce an ICE vehicle in the plant. It's not set up for it. And producing a BEV there while the Body plant is building a cab and box for a framed vehicle could happen, but the scale might not be there to be profitable. That's why I'm told the current Lightning building will cease producing vehicles when the current Lightning ends and the DTP plant is retooled for the next gen ICE truck.

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[TaxmanHog]

It would actually be very difficult to produce an ICE vehicle in the plant. It's not set up for it. And producing a BEV there while the Body plant is building a cab and box for a framed vehicle could happen, but the scale might not be there to be profitable. That's why I'm told the current Lightning building will cease producing vehicles when the current Lightning ends and the DTP plant is retooled for the next gen ICE truck.

I'm sure they have long range plans to repurpose the REVC into other uses, maybe supporting the adjacent ICE line!!

 

[Pioneer74]

I'm sure they have long range plans to repurpose the REVC into other uses, maybe supporting the adjacent ICE line!!

I was told the building would be used for part sequencing and storage. Could also be used for sub-assemblies, and possibly upfit work. All of which is currently being preformed in the Dearborn Engine plant on the other side of the Rouge site.

As far as my guy knows, the next F150 ICE platform will be the last. How long it soldiers on is anybodies guess. It potentially could be used for vehicle assembly after that point. Then they could use the old DTP Final building for other uses.

 

[IdeaOfTheDayCom]

There is no battery manufacturing happening there - it is final assembly. They use skateboards to move the bodies through attaching fully assembled batteries, cab interiors, wheels- they can build anything there. Truly other than some chargers we've seen at the end of the line - there is nothing there that makes it EV. It is a big empty building. They could move some of the ICE F-150 final assembly over there and nothing would change.

What is in there that makes it an EV factory?

I toured the factory at the launch event last April. They told me that they would be doubling the size within the year as they build out the second half. It's definitely final assembly, but they made it a point of saying that that facility was exclusively intended for electric vehicles.

There's a lot of history behind that particular location, but the facility itself was a total rebuild from scratch with EV production in mind. Technically, you can build anything there, but they're committed to using it for EVs so they put Electric Vehicle in the new name to underscore that commitment.

The thing about final assembly is Ford used to literally be the textbook definition of vertical manufacturing, where they designed and built their own parts from a series of parts fabrication facilities that were nearby. When parts are built nearby, it's cheaper and quicker to ship.

With that in mind, they said they're also committed to building as many parts in house, especially the battery packs because it's the most critical component. From what I understand, those factories were planned for Tennessee and Kentucky, but I'm assuming that's just the start. If Rouge is going to make EVs, having packs in Detroit could be super helpful.

 

[TaxmanHog]

 

[Pioneer74]

Great video.

@tommolog Thank you for the video, but when that man is rambling, don't stop him. I think he would have spilled more information if you let him go.

 

[vandy1981]

@tommolog mentioned that the Ford promo video had a brief, blurry shot of the a truck concept that could be T3. It's obviously hard to make out any detail but it seems to have a thick c pillar, high bed siderails an a wedge shape in the front.

Hopefully more details come out soon! I'm really interested in seeing how Ford is going to adapt the F150 design language to a more efficient truck.

 

[Ford Senior Master]

I'm not convinced that the first T3 vehicle will be an F150 Lightning replacement. There is clearly a market for a body-on-frame electric F150; what Ford needs to do is optimize the engineering for production efficiencies. The new vehicle could be smaller and lighter than the current Lightning, and based on a hybrid skateboard/unibody architecture. What Ford might do, so it can still lump the T3 sales in with the F series numbers, is create a new model - let's call it the F100 - that sells along side the F150, both ICE and electric. That would give Ford the best of both worlds.

I’ve been saying all along it should be called F100. I don’t see why a single cab model could not be introduced. The commercial market may be accepting and ready for a slightly scaled down model. Not every use model requires insane payload and tow capacity.

 

[Ford Senior Master]

A unibody design(with the battery part of the frame) is also an issue for service. Rather than dropping the battery and replacing a defective cell, the whole pack has to be replaced. I'm not sure how feasible even that is with the new pack designs. Minor collisions that involve battery damage can/will quickly "total" a vehicle( ex . Tesla). This also will make vehicles more expensive to insure.

I do not believe this to be true.

 

[luebri]

I’ve been saying all along it should be called F100. I don’t see why a single cab model could not be introduced. The commercial market may be accepting and ready for a slightly scaled down model. Not every use model requires insane payload and tow capacity.

just drive around town… I see a hundred crew cab trucks for every one single cab. There is basically zero demand for that product in the truck market for the last two decades. it is guaranteed to be a full crew cab size truck with better specs Than the lightning. The only question is whether it’s body on frame or unibody? my guess is they stick with body on frame and just focus on specs and technology. I also think it will carry F150 branding in some manner. T3 is just a code name.

 

[Ford Senior Master]

just drive around town… I see a hundred crew cab trucks for every one single cab. There is basically zero demand for that product in the truck market for the last two decades. it is guaranteed to be a full crew cab size truck with better specs Than the lightning. The only question is whether it’s body on frame or unibody? my guess is they stick with body on frame and just focus on specs and technology. I also think it will carry F150 branding in some manner. T3 is just a code name.

Oh.. I get it. Maybe that’s why Ford builds so few Pro models. I see a lot more lariat models therefore that’s what people want. I never understood how that worked. I was under the assumption that marketing and pricing strategies played a critical role in demand. At least that’s what we were told in the late nineties when they began transitioning customers to the higher cost(aka higher profitability) Super Crew trucks. Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[WhipSticks]

The ground is so contaminated there that it can never be used for anything else, so the building just sits there and rots.

You answered your own question! Ground can be too contaminated to allow any sort of demolition, let alone actual construction...

 

[123XYZ]

Maybe they toss it all in the ocean instead? I’m with you, doesn’t seem possible.

Aggressive recycling + incineration? Maybe?

Does TN have any garbage incinerating power plants?

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