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Ford EV Chief Doug Field to Leave Company in Reorganization
Vehicle Maker Says COO Kumar Galhotra Will Assume EV, Digital and Design Duties
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Ford Motor Co.’s top electric vehicle executive — whose arrival at the automaker was heralded as a “watershed moment” — is leaving the company as part of a sweeping reorganization to merge its EV and manufacturing operations.
Doug Field, 61, said April 15 that he’s stepping down from his position as chief EV, digital and design officer to pursue undefined opportunities sharing what he’s learned from his career at Ford, Apple Inc. and Tesla Inc. Ford said Field’s duties will be assumed by Chief Operating Officer Kumar Galhotra.
The move continues Ford’s EV overhaul, which includesin charges on underperforming EV assets as the U.S. market for battery-powered vehiclesfailsto materialize. The new organization at Ford will create what the company called an end-to-end approach that takes a vehicle from conception to mass production. Next year, Ford is launching a$30,000 electric pickuptruck that it says will be competitive with the kinds of low-cost, high-tech EVs thatChinese manufacturershave been churning out.
RELATED: Ford Looks to Hit $30,000 EV Target by Shrinking Battery
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“This organization is really, in my mind, the moment that the modern Ford has emerged,” Jim Farley, Ford’s CEO, told reporters on a call April 15. Field’s team “is ready for the next phase at Ford, and Doug is ready for the next phase of his life.”
ǰhired Fieldaway from Apple in 2021 — a move that was considered a coup for the automaker at the time and a key part of its plan to convince investors it could compete with Tesla and others on electric vehicles and technology. Before Apple, Field was senior vice president of engineering at Elon Musk’s company, where he led development of Tesla’s Model 3 sedan.
“I’ve had the gift of working with incredible people, amazing companies and being there during times of great disruption,” Field told reporters. “I want to find the best ways to share that with as many people as possible.”
Farley said combining product creation with manufacturing operations will be key to Ford’s goal of achieving an 8% margin on earnings before interest and taxes by 2029.Last year, that margin was 3.6%.
The automaker said it’s undertaking a “massive” overhaul which will include refreshing 80% of its North American vehicles, by sales volume, by 2029. This includes its top-sellingF-Seriesline of pickup trucks.
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“This is really the heart and soul, over the next couple years, of our transformation,” Farley said of the new models.
As part of the reorganization,Alan Clarke, a former Tesla executive now leading efforts in California to design Ford’s electric pickup, was named vice president of advanced development projects.
Ford’s shares slipped 1.3% at 4:40 p.m. in extended New York trading. The stock has declined about 3% this year.
