Ford Invented The Assembly Line, And Now It's Abandoning It

There is a way to make cars even easier.

Henry Ford made history by inventing the assembly line, a way to mass-produce cars cheaply. Now his own engineers say the assembly line was not an ideal solution: assembly times can be cut by another 15% and the number of workstations by almost half.

Now, Ford has invested $2 billion in a costly rebuild there. The line should be operational in 2027, producing next-generation electric pickup trucks, writes techinsider.

In the early days of the automotive era, cars were assembled on slipways: this required a team of highly skilled workers, and the process was slow and labor-intensive. Because of this, automobiles remained a luxury. Everything changed with the advent of the assembly line: all the work was divided into simple operations, and the "car for everyone" that Ford dreamed of became a reality.

In early August 2025, Ford CEO Jim Farley introduced a new method of assembly of electric cars, which will replace the usual conveyor belt. Called the Ford Universal EV Production System, it will work in conjunction with the new Ford Universal EV Platform, which will make electric cars radically more affordable.

The assembly line is not abandoned in principle - the process is just no longer linear. Assembly is carried out on three parallel lines: one makes the front part of the car, another - the rear, and the third - the center part with the battery. All processes go simultaneously, and then the parts are joined to form a complete electric car.

The idea is not completely new: in 2023, Tesla announced a similar system, but for its own reasons did not implement it. Ford is now implementing it at its plant.

The technologists estimate that the branched conveyor will take up less space and reduce costs: 20% fewer parts, 25% less fasteners and 40% fewer workstations will be needed.

Skeptics, however, believe that Ford has not made a real revolution: the whole point of the innovation is to please shareholders, dissatisfied with the fact that the company produces electric cars at a loss to itself. But let's withhold judgment and wait until 2027 - then we'll see who was right.

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