Ford CEO Jim Farley shared a surprising discovery after examining rival electric vehicles, which motivated a tough strategic shift for the company. This insight comes as Ford aims to keep pace with Tesla and emerging Chinese EV manufacturers.
Farley explained that dismantling competitors’ cars, a common practice in the auto industry, revealed significant differences. For example, the Ford Mustang Mach-E contains about 1.6 km (nearly a mile) more wiring than the Tesla Model 3.
Similar surprises emerged when Ford analyzed Chinese electric vehicles.
“I was very humbled when we took apart the first Model 3 Tesla and started to take apart the Chinese vehicles. When we took them apart, it was shocking what we found,”
Farley shared this during an episode of the Office Hours: Business Edition podcast, as originally reported by Business Insider.
The startling discoveries helped Ford realize it needed to adapt to compete in the fast-evolving electric vehicle market, especially given rapid innovation by Chinese automakers.
In 2022, Farley initiated a new division named Model E dedicated to accelerating Ford’s electric vehicle innovation and presence.
Author’s summary: Ford’s CEO Jim Farley uncovered surprising technical differences in rival EVs, prompting significant strategic moves to strengthen the company’s electric vehicle innovation against Tesla and Chinese competitors.