Ford is making waves as it announces the departure of its Electric Vehicles and Software chief, Doug Field. The move comes just five months after a $19.5 billion write-down on EV investments. Alan Clarke, formerly of Tesla, will now lead Ford’s advanced development projects.
During his tenure, Field oversaw the rollout of BlueCruise hands-free driver-assist and rebranded Ford's third-generation architecture as FNV3.X. However, the scrapping of costly electrical architecture FNV4 highlighted some setbacks in realizing his vision for seamless software experiences.
The shake-up at Ford underlines its struggle to match tech giants like Tesla in innovation. CEO Jim Farley praised Field for building a strong team but acknowledged that passing the baton was “an opportune time.”
Meanwhile, Ford is refreshing 80% of its North American vehicle portfolio by 2029 and aiming to have all vehicles feature new electric architectures by the end of the decade. The loss of Field is another setback in Ford's long journey towards becoming a digital leader in electric vehicles.
