Ford has a new dual-cab ute coming to its global line-up, with an emphasis on affordability. The Fathom electric dual-cab is designed to slot into the Blue Oval’s showrooms as a smaller companion to the Ranger (pictured below), similar in size to the hybrid and internal combustion Maverick ute sold in North America.

While the final production form of the new Fathom ute is yet to be revealed, early signs suggest that Ford Australia could be laying the groundwork to introduce the new model down under by filing a trademark application to protect the Fathom name for automotive use. While that doesn’t automatically mean the Fathom ute will make its way to us, it blocks rivals from trying to circumvent the brand’s efforts to secure the name.

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Ford has previously confirmed that the UEV Platform has been designed with right-hand drive compatibility in mind, opening up opportunities in markets like South Africa, Thailand and Australia. Ford Australia has very carefully crafted its official response in local media, saying that the Fathom is “confirmed for the North American market at this stage”, which doesn’t rule out a local presence. With the priority given to North American distribution, the earliest the Fathom could arrive in Australia would be 2028 or 2029.

Ford’s official channels have confirmed that, for North America at least, pre-orders for the Fathom are set to open in early 2027, with deliveries expected later that year and. The price, with a ‘standard range’ battery, is set to start from US$28,350 – the equivalent of A$40,135.

The cheapest Ford EV currently in Australia is the Mustang Mach-E Select, priced from $56,990 before on-road costs, while the cheapest version of its Ranger dual-cab ute starts from $39,630 plus on-roads with two-wheel drive.

Ford has so far revealed that the Fathom will have more passenger space than a Toyota RAV4, seating for five adults, a large, high-resolution touchscreen, and bi-directional charging. All Fathom models in North America will be compatible with BlueCruise, Ford’s automated highway driving assist, similar to Tesla’s Full Self-Driving tech.

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The Fathom is the first in a series of low-cost EVs Ford is basing on what it calls its Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) Platform. It features a new manufacturing method (pictured, top) that constructs vehicles in three subassemblies that are merged towards the end of production, with large single-piece aluminium castings claimed to reduce weight by 27 per cent.

Ford has also taken a holistic approach to drivetrain and electrical control systems, with in-house control software designed to maximise efficiency, resulting in the use of a smaller, cheaper 400-volt battery pack. The Fathom will use a 48-volt low-voltage electrical system for ancillaries, mirroring the 48-volt electrics used by Tesla’s Cybertruck.