Follow us today...
Why is Ford's CEO, Jim Farley, so attached to his Chinese EV?
Jim Farley has driven his Chinese EV for six months and is not about to give it up. A report from Automotive News (by subscription) says Farley imported his Chinese Xiaomi SU7 from Shanghai this year, and he's still driving it.
Does he love it more than the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Bronco SUV, or F-150 Lightning pickup?
AN says, "Farley's preferred daily driver in recent months isn't the latest Mustang, Bronco or F-150. It's a Xiaomi SU7, which he imported from Shanghai this year to see firsthand the type of Chinese electric vehicles he warns pose an existential threat."
On a recent episode of the Everything Electric Show podcast, Farley said two trips to China in recent years have been "epiphanies," including a visit this year when he first saw the Xiaomi EV sedan and decided to bring one stateside.
"It's fantastic," Farley said. "I've been driving one for six months now, and I don't want to give it up."
According to a Bloomberg report, Ford perceives a significant competitive threat in the form of low-cost Chinese EVs. This realization has led to Farley's decision to drive a Chinese EV himself.
The threat from China is why Farley drives a Chinese EV.
Farley regularly benchmarks rival models to enhance Ford's future products as part of his strategy. He emphasizes the importance of this practice, stating that it provides valuable insights into the competition. Farley says he's made it a "long-standing practice" to drive vehicles from the competition.
Shoplogix says, "Data collection forms the backbone of any benchmarking effort. This can involve purchasing competitor vehicles for thorough analysis, attending auto shows to examine new models, or even hiring specialized firms to gather market intelligence. The key is to obtain accurate, up-to-date information that provides a true picture of the competition."
After the podcast, Farley responded to a post on the social media platform X, saying, "I try to drive everything we compete against," I've done it my whole career. Specs can tell part of a story, but you've got to get behind the wheel to truly understand and beat the competition."
Ford knows the threat from Chinese EVs is real and coming soon.
AN says that Farley and other executives have been sounding the alarm on EVs from China for months, saying Ford must lower costs and improve its competitive fitness to go up against Chinese companies if they enter the U.S. market, which the executives believe will happen.
"If I were sitting in China right now, I'd be looking at land in Mexico," Marin Gjaja, COO of Ford's Model e EV unit, said at the Automotive News Congress in September.
"You get a plant stood up, and you aim for Latin and South America, and then over time, depending on how geopolitical play, you can take it north. That's inevitable."
Farley says the China threat is similar to what happened when Japanese automakers first entered the U.S. market. "I can't unlearn that the Detroit 3 really never had a plan," he said. "We're not going to miss this one."
Check out my report:
Ford Pays Its Dealers Up To $22,500 To Move Out The Slow-Selling F-150 Lightning. It’s An Unprecedented Time For Truck Shoppers here.
I am Denis Flierl, a Senior Torque News Writer since 2012. I’ve invested over 13 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role, working with every major car brand. I am an experienced Rocky Mountain Automotive Press member. You'll find my expert Subaru analysis here. Follow me on my X SubaruReport, All Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierl, Facebook, and Instagram.
Photo credit: Denis Flierl via Xiaomi
Follow us today...
