Ford won't be the first to the cheap electric truck game – Slate gets that honor. But perhaps there's something to be said for the ol' tortoise-over-the-hare way of thinking about things. Ford certainly hopes the Fathom's story pans out in much the same way as the fable. The new model will be an entry-level affordable truck designed to offer Americans something decidedly un-American: a small, efficient truck with a palatable sticker price.What's The Deal With The Ford Fathom?Jim Farley/XThe Fathom is set to ride on a totally new "Universal EV" platform that will also bring several new models besides the small truck into the world. The whole idea, Ford says, is to provide a range of affordable electric vehicles to buyers. As for sizing, we expect the Fathom to have roughly the footprint of some popular compact options. Expect something slightly longer than a current Toyota RAV4, but larger than Ford's own Maverick compact truck.Details on performance and hardware are thin, but Ford did say that it was targeting a 0-60 mph time of around 4.5 seconds. The EV will also ride on a much more modern 400-volt architecture, which should bring benefits in both range and overall efficiency for the truck. As such, we're expecting the Fathom to have a slightly beefier stat sheet than its nearest competitor, the Slate Truck.The platform is another interesting aspect of the Fathom's story. From the looks of it, the truck is just the start. A litany of different Fathom-like vehicles should be on the way, with tons of different affordable EVs spread across multiple segments. Ford has said it is working on everything from big three-row SUVs to tiny cars like the long-dead Fiesta.How Much Will The Fathom Cost?Jim Farley/XThe other big talking point surrounding the Fathom is its price. It won't cost much, with Ford saying it has targeted a starting price of just $29,945, with the obligatory $1,595 destination fee included. Notably, that's a fair few thousand dollars more than the Slate Truck, which starts at $24,950 before destination (Slate hasn't given one yet).However, Ford isn't billing the Fathom as the stripped-down truck the Slate is. It'll offer the usual run of modern conveniences, as far as we can tell. That includes amenities like a sound system, infotainment screens, some degree of phone connectivity, and, more than likely, electronic windows. The Slate won't offer any of those things unless you pay extra for them.While that's largely speculative, Ford has confirmed a few tech features. These include the truck's exclusive use of Apple Maps (eschewing Google), its over-the-air software update compatibility, and the brand's BlueCruise hands-free driving software.Sounds Great, When Can I Buy One?Jim Farley/XThe Fathom will be built in Kentucky starting in 2027. The company is already taking reservations. The company has around $5 billion put into the Fathom's Universal EV Platform, and the model's launch will be one of the most important for both Ford and for cash-strapped buyers looking to give EVs a second chance in the face of high car ownership costs.