Ford CEO Admits Being Humbled by Tesla and Chinese EVs
Ford CEO Jim Farley revealed that examining competitors' electric vehicles forced him to rethink Ford’s approach to car manufacturing. On Tuesday, he shared how dismantling a Tesla Model 3 and various Chinese EVs revealed “shocking” differences that humbled him and his company.
Wake-Up Call from Comparing EVs
Ford engineers compared the Mustang Mach-E, then the second bestselling EV in the U.S., with Tesla’s Model 3. Farley described the findings as harsh but eye-opening.
“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.”
Technical Insights That Forced Change
One striking discovery was that the Mustang Mach-E’s wiring loom was 1.6 kilometers longer than Tesla’s. This extra wiring added 70 pounds of unnecessary weight.
- Additional weight increased battery costs by about $200 per vehicle.
- Every extra pound in an EV lowers battery efficiency and raises costs.
Farley acknowledged this highlighted how much Ford had fallen behind competitors still relying on traditional equipment.
“Ford had even more catchup to do and companies using traditional equipment were really far behind.”
Author’s Summary
This candid admission by Ford’s CEO shows the intense pressure from Tesla and Chinese EV makers is pushing legacy automakers to radically improve their electric vehicle designs.