Ford chooses obscure name for its new electric truck

Ford is changing the way it builds vehicles and the models it produces. The first vehicle that is part of that Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) platform program will be the midsize, electric Ford Fathom pickup truck, the automaker announced today.

Though it has multiple dictionary definitions, the word fathom is most commonly used as a unit of measurement, meaning something six feet in length.

The Fathom name has no link to Ford history. A previous small truck sold by the company was called Ranchero. Ford also used to sell the F-1 and F-100. Today’s Ford truck lineup includes the Maverick, Ranger, F-150 and Super Duty trucks, in ascending size order, each with numerous variants.

It took the company nine months to settle on the name. In a blog post, Ford said, that the name Fathom was chosen to, “give the vehicle personality, a soul and make it a character in our customer’s life.”

As part of that process, Ford scrutinized a long list of possible names that Ford has used in the past but doesn’t currently use, like Galaxie and Taurus. In that same blog post, the company explained that, “Each option came with a specific implication, one that might not fit our new electric truck.”

Ford said that two of the company’s copywriters separately came up with using Fathom for the new truck. It stood alongside hundreds of other options as the company began to whittle down the list.

To help the culling process, Ford’s team surveyed engineers to find which names they preferred, finally settling on Fathom.

Ford will bring Fathom to life at its Louisville, Kentucky plant beginning in 2027. The truck will go on sale in late 2027 with pre-orders beginning earlier in the year. Ford has announced its intention to sell the truck only in North America before it begins eyeing global market possibilities.

Like other Ford pickups, multiple variants of the Fathom will be available, starting at $28,350.