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“From engineering to the name, the design of the first vehicle built on Ford’s new Universal Electric Vehicle Platform originated from a deep understanding of the person who will drive it. Their daily life, their challenges, their goals, and also their budget,” explains Kay Hart, general manager of Ford Model e, the brand's electric vehicle division.
According to her, the motivations of this owner are somewhat different from those of the traditional pickup truck customer. “More than just sounding good, its name needed to capture a mindset, shifting the focus from technical characteristics to a spirit of adaptability,” she says.
Along with the name, Ford also announced the price of the new pickup, which will start at US$28,350 with a standard battery range to compete in the entry-level electric vehicle segment. However, this is just one of its attractions.
Besides offering more passenger space than a Toyota RAV4, the Fathom will have a large, high-resolution screen, two-way power capability, a digital key, and cargo flexibility in the bed and under-hood storage. The cabin comfortably seats five adults for both daily use and weekend trips.
It's packed with equipment, and its technologies include the Blue Cruise autonomous driving system integrated with the new Apple Maps, as well as compatibility with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Personality:
It's common practice in the automotive industry to name vehicles with letter and number codes to indicate the version, engine, and other specifications. The Ford F-150 is a good example.
“With this pickup, from the beginning we were committed to doing things differently. It's in its DNA. We wanted to choose a name to give the vehicle personality, a soul, and make it a character in our customer's life,” says Kay Hart.
This philosophy guided the nine-month journey of finding the name. Fathom stood out for helping to communicate that there is more to the product than meets the eye.
“Before meaning depth, Fathom described the span of a person's outstretched arms, approximately one meter and eighty centimeters. Sailors used this measurement to gauge waters whose bottom they couldn't see. Later, the word came to mean something completely different: to fully comprehend something,” explains Kay Hart. (
Cut list)
To arrive at the name Fathom, the team started with a long list. First, they scoured Ford's archives, analyzing how the company has named vehicles for over a century, from the Galaxie and Taurus to its first model to combine car and pickup, the Ranchero. Each option carried a specific implication, which perhaps didn't fit the new electric pickup.
“What communicates depth beyond the surface? How do we communicate the emotional feeling of a vehicle that is more than it appears to be?” emphasizes Kay Hart. “Two Ford copywriters separately arrived at the name Fathom. But it wasn't an immediate decision. It was kept in a file with hundreds of other options.”
As competing names were eliminated, Fathom survived all the cuts until it reached the final list, standing out as the top choice among the focus groups.
“We built the new electric pickup for a person we've spent years getting to know. When customers begin to explore the technology and design of the Fathom, the connection between the name, the product, and the driver will become clear,” she concludes.


























