Ford is progressing with a $2 billion overhaul of its Louisville Assembly Plant in Kentucky as it prepares to build the Ford Fathom midsize electric truck using the automaker's new Universal EV Production System.

Ford shut down the plant in late 2025 and removed its existing production equipment. By February 2026, the facility had been cleared for installation of equipment designed around the new EV manufacturing process. Ford said prototype Fathom builds using production-qualified parts are scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2027, with customer vehicles following later in the year.

The Louisville investment is part of a broader $5 billion investment by Ford in its Universal EV program. That includes Louisville Assembly Plant and BlueOval Battery Park Michigan, which will produce lithium iron phosphate batteries for vehicles based on the Universal EV Platform. Ford expects the investments to create or secure nearly 4,000 jobs across the two facilities.

Ford Changes the Traditional Assembly Line

Central to the Louisville overhaul is Ford's Universal EV Production System, which replaces a conventional linear assembly line with what the automaker calls an "assembly tree."

Instead of moving a largely assembled vehicle body down a single production line, the process divides the vehicle into three primary sections: the front, rear and structural battery. The battery section is assembled with components including the seats, center consoles and carpeting before the three sections are joined.

Large aluminum unicastings are used for the front and rear sections, replacing dozens of individual stamped and welded components. Because the sections can be assembled independently, multiple production operations can take place simultaneously before the vehicle is joined together.

Ford has said the combination of its Universal EV Platform and production system could allow portions of the assembly process to operate up to40% faster than the plant's previous process. Some of those time savings will be reinvested into additional automation and insourced operations, resulting in an expected net assembly-time improvement of about 15%.

Automation and Plant Technology

Louisville Assembly Plant will have Ford's highest level of final-assembly automation globally, according to the automaker.

The facility's final assembly operation includes approximately 17,000 feet of conveyor. Ford is also installing Wi-Fi 7 and private 5G infrastructure to support manufacturing systems, diagnostics and quality checks throughout the assembly process.

The redesigned manufacturing process also changes how employees interact with the vehicle during assembly. Ford previously said the system is designed to reduce reaching over the vehicle's fender by 84%. The Fathom's wiring harness is also more than 4,000 feet shorter and 22 pounds lighter than the harness used in Ford's first-generation electric SUV.

Louisville employees have been training on the production system at Ford's New Model Product Development Center in Michigan ahead of the 2027 launch.

Fathom to Launch New EV Platform

The Fathom will be the first vehicle produced on Ford's Universal EV Platform. The midsize electric pickup will seat five and include a truck bed and front trunk, as well as bidirectional power capability and available driver-assistance technology.

Ford has announced a starting MSRP of $28,350 for the Fathom with a standard-range battery. Pre-orders are scheduled to open in early 2027.

The automaker expects to begin producing Fathom prototypes with production-qualified parts during the first quarter of 2027 before customer production begins later in the year.