Under the leadership of Mark Fields as the CEO, Ford Motor is going to have the biggest transformation in the history of the company. Fields said that the company is setting a plan to make significant changes in the company’s business. It is going to transform from a company that focuses only on selling cars to one that works in more extensive industries. Ford is heading to the new era, in which the road will be dominated by autonomous car, electric cars, and other high-tech transportation services.
Mark Fields predicted that electric cars will dominate in the coming 15 years. This is evident from the fact that most of giant automobile companies are now under a project to launch such car. He also stated that Ford was serious on developing the electric cars and making huge investment on it. After claiming to have planned an investment of more than $4.5 billions by 2020, the company revealed the plan to launch some of electric vehicles last week. They included:
- F-150 hybrid
- A fully electrics SUV
- A Mustang hybrid
Those products prove its seriousness on going more electrified in its products. Ford has just begun building its reputation around high-tech cars and it wants to be the leader in this sector. However, it does not mean that Ford abandons its gas-powered vehicles, since in the next several years, many people will still depend upon cars with internal combustion engines.
Besides the electric cars, Ford is also investing in developing self-driving cars. As Mark Fields told, Ford Motor has set a target that its autonomous car will have been ready by 2021. It has established a solid team to work on the project. The self-driving car will be fully autonomous, as the car will not be equipped with brake pedal, steering wheel, and accelerator. However, Fields did not reveal where the first autonomous car will be launched first. One this is for sure. The car will target dense cities, where people can afford luxurious cars.
The third point that will characterize the transformation is how the company will do its business. It is not just selling cars. Instead, it makes sure that the customers have anything the want. For instance, the company is not simply thinking how to offer electric cars to the customers, but also thinking how the owners will power the vehicle.
Last year, the company worked with other automakers, such as Daimler, Volkswagen, and BMW to build more than 400 fast charging sites in Europe. In other words, Ford is not making it easier for the customers to get an electric car, but also making sure that the drivers have fun with it. Yes, Ford is on the way to change its business model, from product-oriented to service-oriented model.
Finally, one thing is for sure. Ford Motor never has a plan to abandon car-selling business. Instead, it is now transforming how it runs the business. The company is just attempting to keep up with the demands and the market trends. Consumer is the first priority.