• @draughtcyclist@lemmy.world
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    3410 days ago

    Jim Farley has been quite open about EVs - and he’s been conducting hands-on market research. He’s done podcasts on the topic.

    I don’t know why everyone grabs their pitchforks for this - they’re trying to address competition to modernize their offerings.

    • @TheReturnOfPEB@reddthat.comOP
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      10 days ago

      Why would we buy his cars ?

      He can afford the tariffs. Everyone else gets a F-150 recall machine ?

      How can you simper for him and want to be taken seriously ?

      • @cole@lemdro.id
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        10 days ago

        He drives competitor’s cars to understand what they’re like. Many automotive CEOs do this. Don’t panic

        • @Sauerkraut@discuss.tchncs.de
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          310 days ago

          I am just mad that free trade is only allowed when it benefits the rich, but the moment the Chinese produce a very affordable EV that would help millions of Americans while helping us fight climate change, suddenly we aren’t allowed to buy it because our neo-feudal oligarchs can’t take a cut for themselves…

          Free trade is a farce and our entire system is rotten.

          • @cole@lemdro.id
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            39 days ago

            I only disagree because everybody having fancy electric cars is not the solution. Public transit is

  • Track_Shovel
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    1810 days ago

    Honestly, if I was a Ford shareholder, I would be dumping my shares as fast as possible - there’s no coming back from an open admission of defeat like that. He flat out said they can’t win, the barriers of entry are too high, and the key one (software like Xiaomi) doesn’t even really exist yet.

    As others point out, the western automakers did this to themselves. Hoo boy did China out capitalism. Ironic

    • @Jimmycakes@lemmy.world
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      10 days ago

      If you had even a tiny brain in your head you would see he’s driving it to test out the competition. The article says he’s made a lot of trips to China this year to look at their ev cars.

    • @JustAnotherPodunk@lemmy.world
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      910 days ago

      See. I see this as the ceo version of “market research”. It could bring something better.

      Tbh, maybe it’s because I just watched ‘Ford vs Ferrari’, but imo I would want the higher ups to acknowledge they are fucking up and then change it.

      • Track_Shovel
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        110 days ago

        I don’t think it’s market research though said research can look like this. The messaging doesn’t seem to line up.

      • @dickalan@lemmy.world
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        010 days ago

        So you have an opinion based off an ad disguise as a movie you watched, you’re surely gonna love that new F1 movie for certain you love advertisement so much

    • Bakkoda
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      610 days ago

      I feel like the US is gonna be the cheap labor very shortly.

      • @vividspecter@aussie.zone
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        510 days ago

        Russia style petrostate feels the most likely. And in a time where fossil fuels are going through their death spiral (if in a somewhat prolonged manner).

    • TragicNotCute
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      510 days ago

      The F150 is America’s best selling vehicle and has been for the last 40+ years.

      • Track_Shovel
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        410 days ago

        Yes, but the dynamics of demand is rapidly changing. Look at the micromobility sector - there was nothing 5ish years ago, and now scooter and ebikes are everywhere.

        the only thing keeping Chinese vehicles out are trade restrictions. Look at Europe: VW is in dire straights because they can’t compete with Chinese EVs.

        • @TheMetaleek@sh.itjust.works
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          310 days ago

          To be fair, VW is in it mainly because of Diesel gate and the several billions they owe because of it, but yeah as a consequence they also severely lack innovation especially in EVs

  • IndescribablySad@threads.net
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    1110 days ago

    Why is it humbling? The US and EU actively hindered EV development when they weren’t ignoring it entirely. Put this man back in preschool so he can learn cause and effect, because this is nonsense. Or he’s lying for any number of reasons, which is my guess.

  • comfy
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    810 days ago

    Just in case anyone needs to hear it, EVs are still cars. Perhaps an improvement, but not a solution.

    • @MystikIncarnate@lemmy.ca
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      810 days ago

      I agree. And for those that need a vehicle because they live in the middle of fucking nowhere, EVs are a good middle ground.

      I get why construction teams don’t use them, since one bad charging connection overnight can bring the entire project to a grinding halt for the next day. Meanwhile if Joe forgot to gas up the backhoe before leaving last night it’s only a minor delay while someone goes to do Joe’s job.

      For anyone and everyone else, EVs are generally viable and in many cases, a much better choice than the alternatives.

      For anyone in a city, the fact that you feel you need a car, is the problem.

      • @CompactFlax@discuss.tchncs.de
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        110 days ago

        Construction/trades are actually a pretty good use case for the EV pickups. As you say, it is a hard stop if they’re not charged, but a short trip carrying tools and people to the job site and subsequent short trips to the supply house are usually easily within reach. It’s the backhoe with 8 hrs of runtime that’s difficult to replace, and wiring them to the grid is a bad idea because they’re inherently cable-seeking. (In seriousness, I think it’s an idea that can be explored but is largely impractical. What construction site has a 200kw grid connection, what size cables are you using that won’t be “adjusted” by the local tweakers, and how do you handle an accident.)

  • @alyth@lemmy.world
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    10 days ago

    Who cares about some billionaire’s opinion. I would assume he restructured his portfolio and wants to see some gains.

    • @noredcandy@lemmy.world
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      610 days ago

      Fwiw a lot of late stage CEOs even of big companies are way less rich than you’d think. Jim Farleys net worth is 21 million dollars. Still very very rich, but not billionaire rich.

  • @Ilovethebomb@sh.itjust.works
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    610 days ago

    I have a lot of respect for him for this, telling everyone that your company makes a bad product and needs to do better is a bold move.

  • @nucleative@lemmy.world
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    610 days ago

    In response to the title, he better be driving the competitors vehicles often to understand what they are doing well.

    I think this is a classic case of a company being unable to disrupt itself.

    Ford makes internal combustion engines. Ford makes F-150s. Undoubtedly every executive, marketing guy, R&D engineer, and factory worker is focused on how many F-150s are being produced and sold. Anybody who shows up to a meeting suggesting they don’t sell more F150 is booted out the door (metaphorically).

    They probably also thought there’s no way a Chinese mobile phone / tea kettle / Wi-Fi router manufacturer could ever kick their ass with a car. Yet here we are.