The Ford Fathom Electric Truck Is Coming Next Year. Here's Our Best Look Yet

• What's new: Ford CEO Jim Farley has shared new images of the Fathom EV pickup undergoing hot-weather testing in and around Las Vegas.
• Why it matters: The latest prototypes give us a better look at the Fathom’s compact proportions as Ford prepares a sub-$30,000 electric truck for 2027.
• Edmunds says: The Fathom is shaping up to be more like an electric Maverick than a smaller F-150 Lightning, with everyday usability and affordability taking priority.

The Fathom looks more Maverick than Ranger

Ford officially calls the Fathom a midsize electric truck, but the prototypes don't look especially large. There's a short hood, a four-door cab and a relatively short bed, while the overall proportions appear more compact than a Ranger. Basically, this means a truck that's easier to maneuver in parking lots and garages without giving up a usable cargo bed.

The camouflage is doing its job, particularly around the nose and the back of the cab. Still, the Fathom appears to have a steeply raked windshield, aerodynamic-looking wheels and low-mounted headlights. There are also openings in the lower front bumper that appear to use movable shutters, which could close when cooling isn't needed to reduce air resistance. Ford has made efficiency a priority for its new Universal EV Platform, so expect the production truck to be smoother and less upright than many conventional pickups.

Why test an EV in the Nevada heat?

In Farley's original post on X, the Ford CEO said the development team had been conducting hot-weather testing in the desert before taking the Fathom through Las Vegas. That's more than a photo opportunity — extreme heat gives engineers a chance to evaluate battery temperature management, air-conditioning performance, and the consistency with which an EV can deliver power as temperatures climb.

Those tests are important on an affordable EV, where Ford is trying to get useful driving range from a relatively small and inexpensive battery rather than simply installing a huge pack. The Fathom will use lithium iron phosphate, or LFP, batteries, and the automaker has previously said its new platform was designed around reducing weight, complexity and energy consumption.

As we previously reported, the standard-range Fathom will start at $29,945 including destination, with preorders opening in early 2027 and customer vehicles expected later that year. Ford says it will offer more passenger room than a Toyota RAV4, plus a front trunk and pickup bed, and every Fathom can be equipped with the company's BlueCruise hands-free highway driving tech. It's still too early for the most important answers, though, including how much final driving range and charging speed it'll offer and how much an extended-range version will cost.