Ford has always been a go-getter. After all, it’s the brand that’s responsible for producing America’s best-selling pickup truck for the past 48 years and counting. This automaker got its start at the beginning of the automotive industry and has been one of the top-selling brands ever since. It’s no surprise that the Blue Oval has another trick up its sleeves, and once again, it’s revolutionary. Ford’s T3 electric truck project is set to debut in 2027, ushering in a whole new wave of trucks.
Imagine trucks that improve the longer you drive them, trucks that complete some of the most daunting tasks utilizing electric power, and a facility that uses the energy from the Earth to power itself. This is how Ford is evolving, and when it comes to how this new project will affect you and the trucks that you drive, you’ll be fascinated to find out what Ford has in store for you. You may have passed by a Ford F-150 Lightning for sale—Ford’s all-electric version of the fan-favorite F-150—and you may be wondering if this truck is about to get even better. Here’s what you need to know about Ford’s T3 electric truck project and what it means for the Lightning.
What Is T3?
First things first, T3—or “Trust the Truck”—is the project codename that Ford has given to its latest endeavor. This name is synonymous with Ford’s mission to continue to grow its electric truck inventory and “reinvent the Ford truck franchise.” Everyone knows that the brand builds its trucks to be Ford Tough, and with the F-150 Lightning, the Blue Oval brand has proven that you absolutely can tow heavier loads, haul more materials, and perform better than the competition without the need for an internal combustion engine. Ford has been building gasoline vehicles since the early 1900s, so to see a swift shift in how it powers its trucks may seem startling, but it’s all part of the plan.
Ford is taking all of its knowledge of what it takes to build America’s best-selling truck and combining it with new-age practices, utilizing a more carbon-neutral approach, not only regarding how its trucks perform but also how they are built. The Ford team seeks to blend their expertise with state-of-the-art electric vehicle software, innovation, and aerodynamics to produce trucks that are more advanced than they ever have been before. This platform is expected to continuously evolve, meaning that the trucks produced will also be able to continuously evolve as you drive them.
In short, the T3 project is going to revitalize the way Ford trucks are built, as well as how they operate, further proving that electric power is the way of the future. This program, which will begin production at Ford’s BlueOval City site in West Tennessee, is expected to create approximately 6,000 job opportunities. It’s estimated that the facility will be able to produce 500,000 trucks per year, making EVs more available to drivers. It’s the way of the future, according to Ford, and if we’ve learned anything from this industry trendsetter, it’s that it sure knows what it’s doing.
About BlueOval City
The facility that will be responsible for producing these next-gen trucks is called BlueOval City, a 3,600-acre facility that doesn’t just include a manufacturing plant but also an onsite supplier park featuring a Lowe’s, two construction equipment rental companies, and three concrete plants. The plant will not only build trucks but also the batteries that will power them, bringing everything together in one spot to streamline the process and make manufacturing these state-of-the-art vehicles more convenient than ever. There will also be an onsite upfit center, which will be responsible for upfitting these trucks with popular features like spray-in bedliners, integrated toolboxes, and more of the crowd favorites offered by the brand.
This facility isn’t just building trucks that are better for our environment; the way in which the entire complex operates affects the planet. Utilizing carbon-free electricity and recovered energy from the facility’s infrastructure, BlueOval City will operate in a way that a Ford plant has never done before. It will also be able to save 50 million gallons of water per year by reducing evaporation from the plant’s cooling towers. The facility is expected to result in a 30% smaller general assembly footprint, allowing Ford to create trucks that are better for the environment in a facility that is also better for it.
What T3 Means for the Lightning
How can current electric offerings benefit from the T3 project? Well, the trucks produced at this facility are said to be the next generation of Ford trucks, which means that they won’t just be more efficient and sustainable than rivals, but they’ll also be more intelligent than they have ever been before. The goal of this project is to produce trucks that get better and smarter the longer you own them, adapting to your driving habits and offering you the features and capabilities you need in order to excel behind the wheel.
Ford plans to make these trucks fully updatable and consistently improving, giving drivers a whole new level of satisfaction. With these trucks, drivers won’t have to worry about their vehicles becoming outdated because Ford can constantly update their software and capabilities, allowing drivers to harness the best of the best for as long as they own their vehicles. These trucks will continue to be able to tow and haul alongside the best, with electric powertrains at the helm of any type of task, and as the EV industry evolves, these trucks will evolve right along with it.
The F-150 Lightning is just the beginning, and it’s only expected to become more advanced as the T3 project takes off. It’s already able to offer drivers unbeatable power, unmatched ride quality, and impressive performance. It is expected to gain even more capabilities as the project matures, with these new-age trucks offering better range, faster charging, enhanced aerodynamics, and over-the-air updates to keep them current on all the latest advancements the brand has to offer. Drivers can expect an expanded charging network, more power, and an arsenal of models to choose from that are produced at this game-changing facility.
T3 and the Future
The BlueOval City facility is exciting, and the trucks that are expected to come out of this facility are going to be revolutionary. The F-150 Lightning is one-of-a-kind now, but it’s expected to be joined by others like it that will offer electric power to even more drivers, making EVs more readily available to the masses. Ready or not, the EV wave is coming, gaining momentum with each EV that is produced, and the BlueOval City facility is a testament to just how serious Ford is about its electric future. If you’re wondering where the EV industry is heading, the answer is clear. It’s continuing to grow, and its future looks bright. With the level of education that Ford is offering to BlueOval City employees, the brand is building a team of elites, further solidifying itself as a leader in the industry that just keeps advancing and striving to give the people what they want—and the planet what it needs.
