Currently reading: Ford boss: no plans to follow GM and leave Europe
CEO Jim Hackett said following GM’s lead and departing Europe isn’t right for Ford

Ford CEO Jim Hackett doesn’t believe his company should follow General Motors and depart Europe, because of its depth of history here and the fact that “Europe has the second biggest GDP".

Speaking to Autocar at the Detroit motor show, Hackett said: "We've made a big commitment in Europe, and it looks as if Brexit is reaching some kind of resumption. Jim Farley, who headed our operations in Europe, helped us learn many things about that region. Ford wants to be a leader”.

Hackett also believes Europe’s position as an early adopter in the electrified and autonomous businesses creates another reason for Ford to stay.

"The electric movement in Europe has helped us see the power challenges," he said.

Ford CEO Jim Hackett: "We need smart vehicles for a smart world"

Hackett explained that “new cars with no pedals and no steering wheel” have, in his opinion, proved to be less productive. He said: “There's a likelihood of scaring people - they'll feel they're in there by themselves. It's better to see driverless cars as robotic servants for delivery and co-ordination of lives."

Ford has partnered with pizza company Domino’s to produce an autonomous delivery car. Hackett said that "people loved the ease of taking their food from a machine”. He expects the rise of these cars to be “very good news for small businesses". 

However, Hackett refuted that people will give up car ownership in large numbers anytime soon. "Many people have a passion for cars. I don't see them giving up the joy of driving,” he said.

On industry timescales, Hackett said he divides company affairs into three categories - now, near and far - those periods separated by five to seven years. It means far may only be a decade away, but it entails at least two model changes. That's why there's very little time to lose.

Hackett therefore believes the company’s One Ford plan, in which it produced global versions of its models rather than variants for regions, was right for the time, as a way if building scale for various platforms. But the company is now changing things "to give people in particular regions a little more control”.

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Steve Cropley is the oldest of Autocar’s editorial team, or the most experienced if you want to be polite about it. He joined over 30 years ago, and has driven many cars and interviewed many people in half a century in the business. 

Cropley, who regards himself as the magazine’s “long stop”, has seen many changes since Autocar was a print-only affair, but claims that in such a fast moving environment he has little appetite for looking back. 

He has been surprised and delighted by the generous reception afforded the My Week In Cars podcast he makes with long suffering colleague Matt Prior, and calls it the most enjoyable part of his working week.

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xxxx 16 January 2018

Ford Telsa Ltd

No matter what this furniture trained salesman says about which market is biggest Ford are so far behind it's hard to irrelevant. Having said that the companies total sales and value has slipped over the years so I shouldn't be to surprized.

Maybe there could be a Telsa Ford tie up one day?

wheels 16 January 2018

xxxx wrote:

xxxx wrote:

No matter what this furniture trained salesman says about which market is biggest Ford are so far behind it's hard to irrelevant. Having said that the companies total sales and value has slipped over the years so I shouldn't be to surprized.

Maybe there could be a Telsa Ford tie up one day?

Actually a valid point. I wouldn't be surprised. How Tesla is losing money, patience from investers and customers could finally take Elon's head. You can't fool the world with pointless new releases when your already promised cars aren't being delivered. Hence Apple wanted to buy Mclaren instead Tesla I guess. But Ford's reluctance in investing big money into electric future, they might be the big fish waiting on the side eyeing Tesla.

scotty5 15 January 2018

Jim Hackett's new Ford warranty.

autocar wrote:

Ford has partnered with pizza company Domino’s to produce...

...to produce alloy wheels.

Breaking news, Ford customers who's alloy wheels started to corrode after 12mths, an issue which Ford refuses to acknowledge as a manufacturing fault, will be glad to learn Domino's will be dealing with any warranty claims from now on. A Ford spokesman said these new wheels made from Pizza are guaranteed not to rust. He went on to say Ford will continue to reject any future warranty claims, but advised any wheel that does rust can easily be replaced by contacting your local Domino's. "We recommend you order thin crust to replace our rusty space-saver's, Deep Pan for our standard rusty alloys and Cheesy Crust if you want rim protectors. But he did warn customers that being a Domino's product, the pizza's may be a tad more expensive than the original wheels and recommended customers wait until there's a 'buy 1 get 1 free' offer.

Ford warranty - not worth the paper it's not written on.

GODFATHER 15 January 2018

Clueless

Within the 15 years, China will be first in GDP and the leader in car electrified car.