Ford Motor Co.’s transition away from an electric vehicle-centric auto company and toward a more flexible enterprise was highlighted by the creation of a new team dubbed the Product Creation and Industrialization team and announced departure of Ford’s EV guru Doug Field.
The new team aims to revamp the company’s focus, including a change in the vehicle portfolio. That starts with the recently announced Universal Electric Vehicle platform, as well as a new midsized pickup, the next-gen F-150 pickup and F-Series Super Duty. The change will be shepherded by longtime Ford executive and current COO Kumar Galhotra.
Galhotra has marching orders as head of the new group: accelerate the Ford+ plan to hit its 8 percent adjusted EBIT target margin by 2029 by “delivering one of the most intensive product, software, and services rollouts in Ford’s history.”
Jim Farley, Ford president and CEO, said the move is the “culmination of years of work and progress to create the modern Ford – a talented, unified organization capable of scaling high-quality, software-defined vehicles with a choice of propulsion, distinctive digital experiences and features, and a personalized ownership experience that improves over time.”
Officials quickly noted that the company isn’t abandoning electrification, but it has shifted toward hybrid development and production instead of creating new electric vehicles. Perhaps nothing signifies that change more openly than the collegial departure of Field, who is leaving for an unexplained new role somewhere else.
“I’m honored to have been a part of leading Ford during an unprecedented period of technology and market disruption,” Field said, who spent time at Tesla and Apple before joining Ford five years ago. “I believe Ford now has a winning technology strategy and plan. The first breakthrough product off the Universal EV platform — a midsize pickup — is on its way to production. We have clearly defined hardware, software, and electrification plans across our full product line.
“The initial quality of our core technologies is now near the top of the industry. Most importantly, we have incredibly talented teams across these disciplines, ready to carry Ford into the future. I am completely confident in them and so excited to see their work in the coming years.
“I have been incredibly lucky to be at the center of disruption and innovation at Apple, Tesla, and now Ford, and I look forward to giving some of that experience back to the world.”
[Images: Ford Motor Co.]
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