For an automaker to claim it can rival the bestselling EV of all time may sound premature. Investors are betting Ford Motor Company CEO Jim Farley can deliver.

Ford previously pivoted away from EVs, ending production of the bestselling electric pickup truck, the F-150 Lightning. But the Dearborn, Michigan-based company is now focusing on developing a new, more affordable manufacturing platform that could support the launch of several vehicles, including new hybrid and electric vehicles.

"We'll have an all-electric, affordable vehicle to compete with Model Y and Model 3," Farley said on Spike's Car Radio podcast, as reported by InsideEVs.

Investors have few plans for Ford's Universal Electric Vehicle platform and future models, aside from a $30,000 mid-size pickup truck set to launch in 2027. Farley's comments could mean a Model Y SUV low-cost competitor is next on the docket.

While Farley said Ford would compete with the Model Y and Model 3, it wasn't clear if this was one vehicle or two different vehicles.

In an interview with Car and Driver, Farley expressed regret about how the F-150 Lightning EV pickup truck rollout unfolded.

Taking On Tesla

The F-150 Lightning outsold the Cybertruck pickup truck from Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA), but that may be due to cost and design more than a potential competitor to the Model Y.

The Model Y is the bestselling EV of all time and was named the bestselling overall vehicle for the years 2023, 2024 and 2025, although the crown may be contested if you ask others not named Elon Musk.

In 2025, Ford sold 27,307 F-150 Lightnings, outselling the 20,327 Cybertrucks in the United States.

Ford's Mustang Mach-E sold 51,620 units in the U.S., a figure that was down 0.2% year-over-year.

Ford saw strong unit sales, but its vehicles trailed the Model Y (357,528 units) and the Model 3 (192,440 units) in the U.S. market in 2025.

Farley has called the next EV platform a "Model T moment" for Ford. The company priced vehicles around $30,000, and has a deeper focus on profitability.

Whether Ford can put a dent in Tesla's sales figures and post profitability for its EVs remains to be seen. For now, all shareholders have are Farley's latest comments while investors and analysts await more concrete details.

Ford Stock Price Action

Ford shares trade at $11.57 on Thursday versus a 52-week trading range of $8.44 to $14.80. Ford stock is down 11.9% year-to-date in 2026. Ford shares have fallen around 5% over the last five years.

Photo: © Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images