Ford Motor Company has unveiled new details about its upcoming battery-electric truck, highlighting a strong influence from Formula One in its design. The Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker plans to begin production of the midsize EV in Kentucky in 2027.
The announcement comes as Ford faces pressure from dealers and shareholders to modernize its vehicle lineup, following a $19.5 billion write-down on its electric vehicle investments in 2025.
Saleem Merkt, Ford’s senior manager of advanced EV aerodynamics, emphasized the team’s Formula 1 pedigree in a company blog post. “Our aerodynamics team spent a large portion of their careers obsessed with details that most people can’t see. More than half of our aero team came from the Formula 1 world, where air is either your greatest ally or most punishing enemy,” Merkt wrote.
According to internal estimates, the new electric truck is expected to be 15% more aerodynamically efficient than any pickup currently on the market. For comparison, the Rivian R1T holds the title of the most aerodynamic electric truck today with a 0.30 coefficient of drag. Third-party tests of the BYD Shark, a midsize plug-in hybrid pickup available in multiple international markets, reported a drag coefficient of 0.251.
Passenger vehicles generally achieve lower drag coefficients than trucks due to their more streamlined design. For instance, the Mercedes-Benz CLA, among the most aerodynamically efficient vehicles available, boasts a drag coefficient of 0.22.
Merkt noted that former F1 engineers introduced not only aerodynamic expertise but also a new development approach at Ford. The company adopted a Formula 1-inspired cycle, encouraging a “fail fast, learn faster” mentality. The wind tunnel, for example, was used to shape the vehicle long before its exterior design was finalized, a departure from traditional automotive development timelines.
The team also implemented “LEGO-like” modular builds for the test vehicle, allowing engineers to swap 3D-printed and machined components within minutes. Thousands of parts, including suspension and drive units, were tested individually during the design phase.
Artificial intelligence played a central role in accelerating development. AI-generated, data-rich models provided real-time insights shared across Ford’s Michigan and California offices, laying the groundwork for future AI-driven vehicle designs.
