ford s new 28 350 pickup truck is called the fathomFord has officially named its incoming affordable midsize electric truck.What we thought was going to live under the Ranchero badge has officially been named the Ford Fathom. The five-passenger pickup will serve as the launch vehicle for the automaker's low-cost Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) platform, carrying a starting MSRP below $30,000.Ford said that rather than resurrecting a heritage badge like Ranchero from its archives, it chose an entirely new name to broadcast that the new truck is a departure from legacy truck design.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe naming process spanned nine months before copywriters presented Fathom. Originating as a nautical measurement equal to six feet-the span of a person's outstretched arms-the word eventually evolved to mean comprehend something completely. Ford felt the six-letter word captured the years of research spent understanding the target buyer's daily routine and financial priorities.Overall dimensions place the Fathom in the midsize truck class, roughly similar in footprint to the Maverick-Ford engineers packaged the interior to offer more passenger volume than a Toyota RAV4. Performance targets from the electric powertrain call for acceleration comparable to a Mustang EcoBoost.Unlike the 12-volt electrical setups used in conventional trucks, the Fathom employs a 48-volt low-voltage architecture to power onboard electronics and lower overall vehicle weight. Standard equipment will include a high-resolution infotainment screen with embedded Apple Maps, compatibility with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, digital key capability, and hardware to run Ford's Level 2+ BlueCruise hands-free driving assistant.ford s new 28 350 pickup truck is called the fathomThe Fathom was designed by a small California-based hardware and software team launched in 2022 to operate outside Ford's traditional corporate bureaucracy. The truck will rely on lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery cells manufactured at the BlueOval Battery Park Michigan facility in Marshall. The LFP chemistry eliminates cobalt and nickel to reduce material costs while enhancing thermal stability.AdvertisementAdvertisementTo assemble the truck, Ford is investing $2 billion into its Louisville Assembly Plant in Kentucky, replacing the traditional linear assembly line with a tree-shaped manufacturing flow. Large single-piece aluminum unicastings replace dozens of individual stamped components, allowing front and rear sub-assemblies to combine directly with a structural battery pack.The standard-range model features bidirectional power capabilities to run external equipment or tools and provide backup home power during outages. Offical pricing for the Ford Fathom will start at $28,350, with order banks scheduled to open in early 2027, with initial customer deliveries following later in the year.