It feels like the days of the Detroit Auto Show being a global party are over, but Ford didn’t need confetti to make a statement this year. Instead, they used the stage — and a quieter appearance at CES 2026 — to lay out a strategy that feels less like a product roadmap and more like a survival guide.
CEO Jim Farley didn’t mince his words when he spoke to InsideEVs and compared Ford’s current situation to the Apollo missions. It sounds dramatic, but when you look at what they want to achieve with their Red Bull Formula 1 partnership and secret “Universal EV” (UEV) platform, there really is a lot at stake.
The UEV project is probably the project to keep an eye on
This isn’t just another electric car; It’s a complete reorientation of the way Ford builds vehicles. Developed by a “Skunkworks” team in California with former Tesla, Apple and Rivian engineers, this platform is designed to eliminate the inefficiencies that have plagued legacy automakers. We’re talking about a $30,000 electric pickup coming to market in 2027 that uses 20% fewer parts and runs on a zonal electric architecture capable of driving “on par” a year after launch.
Farley confirmed that this is no longer just a concept – prototypes are already underway
They’ve even retooled factories and installed huge “megacasting” machines to signal that they’re giving it their all.
But the journey here wasn’t pleasant. Ford has had to make some brutal decisions, including canceling the F-150 Lightning’s direct successor and switching large SUVs back to hybrid engines. It was a painful admission that the old way wasn’t working. Now the UEV platform is its main bet to actually make money from electric vehicles, aiming for a cost structure that can compete with Chinese giants like BYD.
And that is the true ghost that haunts this machine. As political winds shift and rivals like Geely eye the U.S. market, Ford knows there’s no room to breathe. Whether this new platform will ultimately be the basis for the next Mustang Mach-E or just a family of affordable vans, one thing is clear: Ford is betting on this “moonshot.” When it lands, they reinvent the company. If not, the future looks much more difficult.
