Everything we know about the 2027 Ford Ranchero EV

Ford has a new electric pickup truck coming to market in 2027. We think it’ll be called the Ranchero, and here’s everything that we know about it.

Name: Ford Ranchero

The Ranchero name has been used before to represent a small utility vehicle from Ford. The upcoming Ranchero, assuming it keeps that name, would be the spiritual successor to that product. Ford has trademarked the name, indicating that the Blue Oval wants to protect its ownership rights to it. Does that mean it’ll be the name? We don’t know. The announcement of the truck didn’t indicate a name, so we’ll have to wait and see.

What will the Ranchero look like?

At this moment, there is only a slight glimpse of the truck that appeared during a video shown during the reveal. We’ve extracted the image, cleaned it up a bit, and have it below for you to check out.

We’ve put together a rendering of what we think the truck might look like. This is by no means the final truck, but it does take some cues from Ford’s current design language.

We’ll have a better idea of what it looks like once recognizable prototypes start hitting the road.

What platform will the Ford Ranchero use?

The Ranchero will be built atop Ford’s new Universal EV Platform, which will be the basis for several future EVs from Ford. Since the company is striving for the lowest possible retail price, it will operate with a 400-volt architecture.

Ford says that the decision was made because it makes the most sense for a customer of this type of vehicle. It allows for native access to the largest number of DC fast charging stations in the country, because Tesla Superchargers are primarily 400-volt. Competitors like Hyundai and Porsche have the motor step down the charging voltage to overcome this, but both options do come at a cost. For a 2027 reveal, however, there’ll be more 800-volt competitors on sale.

The Ranchero will also utilize a unibody construction, as will all EVs on this new architecture.

According to Ford CEO Jim Farley, the Universal EV Platform reduces parts by 20% compared to a typical vehicle. Some of those savings come from 25% fewer fasteners, 40% fewer workstations dock-to-dock in the plant, and even 15% faster assembly time. Ford is claiming a lower cost of ownership — which is already lower on EVs compared to ICE vehicles — over five years than a three-year-old used Tesla Model Y.

That last statement is interesting because Ford is suggesting that a new Ranchero will be cheaper to own than picking up a used Model Y, which might be an alternative for some people. Though Tesla’s resale value hasn’t been so great lately.

What battery powers the Ford Ranchero?

The Ranchero EV, and presumably the other vehicles that will come from the Universal EV Platform, will feature a LFP battery with prismatic cells. LFP batteries are typically less energy-dense than NMC lithium-ion batteries, but they’re also less expensive. Additionally, they tend to be a safer type of battery pack when punctured, like in an accident.

The pack is cobalt and nickel-free, and the pack will serve as the vehicle’s structural sub-assembly, which is also the floor of the vehicle. This skateboard design isn’t new, but it is new for Ford production.

We don’t know battery capacity for the Ranchero, but we do know that the battery will be assembled at the company’s BlueOval Battery Park Michigan, in… well, Michigan.

What are the Ranchero’s capabilities?

The Ranchero will be a four-door pickup truck that Ford describes as a midsized vehicle. We’d classify Ford’s Maverick as a compact truck, while the Ranger is more midsized. Ford did state in a briefing that while the Ranchero will have more space, it’ll have the same footprint as a Maverick. So they are saying midsize when it comes to capacity, but compact when it comes to physical size.

Ford isn’t quoting numbers, but says the truck will have more passenger room than the latest Toyota RAV4 (98.9 cu/ft), and that’s before you include the truck bed’s storage and the front trunk. Ford says you can lock your surfboards or other gear in that bed, meaning it’ll come with some sort of bed cover from the factory. Also, that implies the bed is long enough to fit a surfboard in without it sticking out the top.

What is the Ranchero’s performance?

While straight-line performance isn’t a significant buying consideration for someone looking at an affordable utility, Ford is projecting the truck to have the same 0-60 time as a Mustang EcoBoost, and somehow it’ll have more downforce.

What is the Ranchero’s range?

We have no idea at this point, as Ford hasn’t released details. The Slate Auto, with its bigger battery pack, will have around 240 miles of range. We’d imagine Ford would be targeting that number. They might have multiple battery pack sizes, including a smaller pack to hit that $30,000 number, but we just don’t know yet.

Ford said in a briefing that the truck will have the same type of range as a BYD Atto with 15% less battery. It’s not clear if the range is the same as the Atto or if in a hypothetical world where both had the same range, the Ford would do it with 15% less battery.

When will the Ranchero go on sale?

Ford says that the new Ranchero will be on sale and in customers’ hands in 2027.

How much will the Ranchero cost?

The federal income tax credit on new EVs officially went away on September 30, 2025. In an interview, Ford’s CEO Jim Farley stated that he wouldn’t be surprised if the industry saw a dip in EV adoption to 5% of total new vehicle sales. For perspective, the number before the incentive was gone was in the 12% to 13% range. Farley reaffirmed that affordable EVs are the answer and is still pinning his hopes on this truck.

Ford has said that it expects a starting price of around $30,000 when it goes on sale. One thing worth noting is that Ford has some of the highest overall destination charges in the industry, currently charging $2,595 for freight on an F-150 Lightning that is assembled in Dearborn. We mention this because a $30,000 car without a destination charge could easily be a $33,000 car with, which would be 10% of the car’s selling price.

While it will be the only truck (outside of the Slate) at around this price, it’s also worth noting that the new Leaf is priced extremely well for what you get, and the Equinox EV and newly priced Hyundai EVs make the segment much more interesting, especially if you don’t need or want the truck bed.

What is a key Ranchero takeaway?

Ford’s EV chief, Doug Field, said in a release that “This isn’t a stripped-down, old-school vehicle.” That seems to be a direct attack on Slate Auto’s philosophy in its truck. The segment is about to get interesting, assuming both OEMs can get a vehicle to production at the pricing both companies are projecting now.

Why not an EV Maverick?

Several people have asked why the new truck isn’t just an EV version of the Maverick. That’s a fair question, we think, but it should be noted that this is on an entirely new platform. But that doesn’t mean that calling it a Maverick is out of the question, because it does have name recognition. It just seems unlikely at this point.

Our Ranchero coverage

• Should you wait for the Ford Ranchero EV or buy a Tesla Model Y today?
• Two paths to affordable EVs: Ford’s Ranchero pickup meets Toyota’s upgraded bZ
• Two different roads: How Ford’s Ranchero EV compares to Rivian’s R1T
• Will Ford make an EV Maverick?
• Does Ford’s cheap EV pickup make the Slate obsolete?
• Slate Auto Truck vs. Ford Ranchero EV: The battle for the budget electric pickup
• Ford’s Louisville Assembly Plant to build midsize electric truck in 2027

Updates

• Updated (4:45 pm EDT, 10/02/2025): Added a section on price, and included competitive pricing from… ummm competitors.
• Updated (11:45 am EDT, 08/15/2025): Added rendering of truck, and added a cleaned-up and enhanced screenshot from the truck’s reveal, which is the only real look at what the truck looks like, even though it remains under a sheet.