Ford CEO Jim Farley says he is “really excited” about his company’s architecture for future EVs that is fully software-configurable. “It’s our first architecture that will be 100% updatable by software” he says. Software has become an essential part of the automotive industry, and Farley has prioritised in-house development of the systems and subsystems needed in context of the CASE megatrends, rather than shopping outside suppliers.
Ford are transmogrifying their business; they’ve separated their combustion-engine and electric- vehicle operations. Along with that, they’ve been hiring software engineers and related staff to develop EVs; AI, and AV systems. At the same time, they’ve cut 8,000 workers and 2,000 salaried staffers in their combustion-vehicle business.
Ford plan to produce over two million electric vehicles annually by 2026, just under three model years from now. The general expectation is for BEVs to account for half of new-car sales by 2030, the target set by the U.S. Biden Administration.
