Revenge of the Model e-Ford turns its electric vehicles into a separate business unit
For some reason, automakers often choose names we pundits dislike. “Stellantis” sounds more like a prescription drug than a car company, and Chevrolet’s Bolt could be, and often was, confused with the Volt of the same company. (Could a better name have saved these unlucky vehicles?)
 |
Above: A look inside Ford’s new electric F-150 Lightning (Source: Ford)
Ford’s plan to turn its electric vehicles into a separate business unit is an excellent idea. Every automaker has pro-EV and anti-EV factions, and electron experts will certainly be able to move fast (as badly as they need to) without holding petrol-heads back.
However, Ford’s decision to name its new EV division “Model E” seems a bit odd, given a historical association with a certain California-born carmaker. Tesla originally wanted to call its third-generation vehicle the Model E, so that its product lineup would have SEX (a good thing to always invoke when selling a car), but Ford already had the trademark, so the young automaker named its new vehicle the Model 3. Instead.
Did Ford refuse to release the trademark name Model E to Tesla in 2016 because it already planned to use the name for a future EV division? highly unlikely. In those days, Ford was probably more interested in selling ball caps than electric cars. But times are changing, and quickly.
Under the so-called Ford+ plan, the two new business units—the Ford Model E for EVs and the Ford Blue for ICEs—will remain under the Ford corporate umbrella, but “share relevant technology and best practices to leverage scale and to improve operations.” The arrangement appears to be similar to the way the company operates its existing Ford Pro commercial business. Ford expects to begin reporting separate financial results for the three units by 2023.
Ford says the restructuring will involve investing an additional $10 to $20 billion over the next 10 years.
Above: A look at Ford’s EV investment (YouTube: Ford Motor Company)
According to the company, the Ford+ strategy “creates a distinct electric vehicle and internal combustion business ready to compete and win against both new EV competitors and established automakers,” and “makes Ford a startup with the focus and momentum to reach customers.” Organizes to deliver” leading edge of technology, backed by deep expertise in engineering and high volume production.
Ford expects to produce more than two million EVs per year by 2026, and expects EVs to represent half of global sales volume by 2030. (As Electrek’s Fred Lambert quips, one may well wonder who is hoping to buy the other half.)
Jim Farley remains Ford’s CEO, and will become president of the Model E division. “We have made tremendous progress in a short period of time,” he said. “We have launched a range of globally hit products, and the demand for our new EVs such as the F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E is off the charts. But with Ford+, our ambition is to be a truly great, world-changing company again, and that needs attention. We are building differentiated but complementary businesses that give us startup momentum and unbridled innovation in the Ford Model E, along with the industrial knowledge of Ford Blue, Volume and iconic brands like Bronco that startups can only dream about. can. ,
Doug Field, Tesla’s former engineering executive, will lead the Ford Model E’s product creation as chief EV and digital systems officer.
“Designing truly incredible electric and software-driven vehicles with experiences customers can’t even imagine still requires a clean-sheet approach,” Field said. “We are creating an organization that benefits from all of Ford’s knowledge and capabilities, but that can move forward with speed and unrestricted ambition to create revolutionary new products.”
,
This article originally appeared in Charged. Author: Charles Morris. Sources: Ford, Reuters, Electrek
was published
Electric Vehicles, Ford
Of earlier
Comments
Post a Comment