Ford Motor Co. says its long‑delayed affordable electric pickup will hit showrooms next year despite a series of setbacks. After writing off $20 billion in EV investments, shutting a Kentucky battery plant and losing a senior development head, the company kept the project alive at its Long Beach EV Development Center. Lead engineer Alan Clarke, a Tesla veteran, now steers the effort.

Clarke’s team, composed of ex‑Tesla, Apple and other tech talent, aims to price the truck at $30,000, matching the gas‑powered Maverick. The vehicle promises a 300‑mile range and will use liquid‑aluminum body panels to slash parts count, a strategy Ford says is essential to hitting the price target. Prototypes are already being tested, and a Louisville plant is being readied for production.

U.S. EV sales rose 20 percent in March, while gasoline prices climb amid Middle‑East tensions, giving Ford a chance to capture price‑sensitive buyers who have lost the federal $7,500 tax credit. With only the Mustang Mach‑E on the market, the upcoming pickup could become Ford’s primary domestic EV offering, directly challenging low‑cost models from Chinese rivals. Analysts view it as a volume bet.