Ford Announces 48-Volt Architecture for Future Electric Truck

February 19, 2026

Ford is focusing on efficiency to bring down the costs of its upcoming electric truck. *(Ford)*

Ford is seeding bits of information about its electric mid-size pickup that is slated to land in 2027. The vehicle is the brainchild of the company's skunkworks division and is set to become the standard by which other new electric vehicles from the blue oval are constructed. The underlying UEV (Universal Electric Vehicle) platform is meant to reduce the cost of EVs so they are comparable with gas vehicles.

During a presentation focused on efficiency and how Ford plans to eke every mile it can out of the upcoming vehicle, the automaker shared that the vehicle would have a 48-volt architecture instead of the traditional 12-volt system via a DC-to-DC convertor. The converter will step down the power from the 400-volt battery system to 48 volts to power ancillary items in the vehicle.

Most EVs on the market still use a 12-volt system that includes a traditional car battery to power certain systems, including lights, infotainment systems, electric locks, and the system that turns the vehicle on. Ford's 48-volt system will eliminate that legacy battery and instead use the truck's LFP battery pack to power those systems.

Along with the 48-volt architecture, Ford is also moving towards a zonal computer system. Instead of dozens of supplier-designed ECUs populating the vehicle, Ford is moving towards a more software-defined vehicle with many features being controlled by five main Ford-designed modules that are connected via Ethernet. This reduces weight by eliminating wiring harnesses and complexity, which costs Ford less to design and manufacture. According to Ford, the change has reduced the length of the truck's wiring by 4000 ft (1,219 m) and weight by 22 lbs (10 kg). The in-house system will also deliver bi-directional charging, which we also saw on the F-150 Lightning.

Ford also discussed some of the aerodynamics of the upcoming truck, noting that it has created an aircurtain that envelopes the vehicle and passes over the bed of the truck without the usual turbulence. The team also shaved weight by using large castings for the vehicle’s front and rear. Ford plans to build the vehicle in three pieces (front, back, and middle) and merge those pieces together in the assembly process.

All of these moves are being done in the name of efficiency and to help the automaker hit its $30,000 price target. The vehicle is set to go on sale in 2027 as a 2028 model. For Ford, it's more than just a relatively low-cost EV, it's the beginning of a new way to build electric vehicles that it hopes will help it kick-start its latest round of electrification plans.