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In Brief Posted: 12:05 PM PDT · June 28, 2026 Anthony Ha Ford rehires ‘gray beard’ engineers after AI falls short Ford executives said they have hired 350 veteran engineers — some of them were former employees, while others had been working at suppliers — after artificial intelligence and automated… …
… To catch up, Ford ditched the moving assembly line system that its founder Henry Ford launched and turned to a system developed by its skunkworks team led by former Tesla executive Alan Clarke. This “universal production system,” as Ford calls it, uses a three-branched assembly tree. …
… Ford needs a product that can compete with Chinese EVs, which have been taking the world by storm. Yet, for reasons that are both within and beyond Ford’s control, the Fathom is unlikely to be another Taurus or Explorer, two hits that drove Ford sales in the 1990s. …
… Ford is gambling by choosing the truck form factor for its first UEV platform vehicle. But there are some inherent upsides: The Fathom and other vehicles built on the platform will be the first that Ford has designed from the ground up to use electric powertrains. …
… Ford noted that the Apple integration could also help its Ford Pro business, which serves its commercial fleet customers. …
… Ford Ford’s first serious entry into the world of mass-market EVs was the Mustang Mach-E, which debuted in late 2019. …
… But then GM discontinued BrightDrop last year, Ford axed plans for a next-generation electric Transit van, and EVs generally became a harder sell in the United States. …
… The upshot: While GM and Ford still sell EVs and have new models in their product pipelines, their collective focus has shifted, and it shows in the data. …
… Ford is turning to Apple for its next generation of EVs. Specifically, Ford is going to integrate Apple Maps navigation and mapping , using a new set of developer tools called MapKit for Automotive, into its new line of electric vehicles, starting with the $30,000 midsize truck in 2027. …
… Ford has a name and a number for its new midsize EV. It will be called Fathom and will start at $28,350 when it goes on sale in 2027. TechCrunch climate tech reporter and long-time EV owner Tim De Chant argues that Ford needs another Taurus , and the Fathom isn’t it. …