Ford EV chief leaves automaker amid new restructuring efforts

DETROIT — Ford engineGoogle’s head of electric vehicles and software is leaving the automaker as it restructures its leadership and operations.

Ford said Wednesday that Doug Field – director of electric vehicles, digital and design – had “elected to leave the company following a transition over the next month.” A release announcing the move mentioned a “next chapter” for Field, but the executive declined to disclose specific plans during a Wednesday call with the media.

Field’s departure was announced in conjunction with Ford detailing a new executive structure that includes the creation of a “product creation and industrialization” organization within the company that will be led by Ford veteran and chief operating officer Kumar Galhotra.

Ford said the new structure will integrate Field’s responsibilities within the company’s global industrial systems group to help the automaker achieve certain goals in its “Ford+” business plan, such as its goal of an adjusted EBIT margin of 8% by 2029.

“Today is a very important moment for us at Ford, really for our next chapter. It’s also an important moment for all of us as leaders,” Ford CEO Jim Farley said Wednesday on the call with Field and Galhotra. “We believe this organizational change will truly help us achieve all of Ford Plus’ key goals.”

Field’s departure comes as Ford prepares to launch a next generation of electric vehicles that Farley says are as big as the company’s popular Model T.

Farley and Field on the media call said the next vehicle – a mid-size pickup built on Ford’s “Universal Electric Vehicle” or UEV platform due out next year – was in a strong position to continue in the new unit without Field.

“Ford will be transformed by bringing these products to the finish line. My team is ready, and they are ready to execute,” Field said Wednesday.

Ford on Wednesday described the new product creation and industrialization unit as an “end-to-end organization” that aims to “deliver one of the most intensive deployments of products, software and services in Ford history.”

The automaker plans to refresh 80% of its North American portfolio by volume and 70% of its global portfolio by volume by 2029, the company said. This includes the UEV pickup truck, the next-generation F-150, and the larger F-Series Super Duty lineup.

This product turnaround will also include new powertrain offerings and new software, Ford said Wednesday.

“It really is the heart and soul of our transformation over the next two years,” Farley said. “This new structure allows us to move much faster, reduce complexity across the business, and deliver these great digital experiences and vehicles with greater quality and efficiency.”

By 2030, the company expects 90% of its global brands to offer electrified powertrains, including hybrids, extended-range electric vehicles and full electric vehicles. The goal is also for 90% of its Ford vehicles by volume to feature “updated electrical architectures, internally developed user experiences and hardware, and next-generation live capabilities for continuous improvement in experiences and services.”

Ford said new technologies will enable “the rapid deployment” of advances in its digital customer experience and the BlueCruise advanced driver assistance system, with an “evolutionary path” to Ford’s 2028 goal of achieving eyeless driving.

“We’re on the cusp of the biggest change the company has ever seen, which is delivering all these new software, hardware, products and services between 2027 and 29 that will not only allow us to achieve that 8% margin, but will also transform the company,” Farley said. “This is the team that will make this happen.”

There will be no direct replacement for Field, who Ford executives praised when the automaker brought him to the company in 2021 after holding senior roles with the U.S. electric vehicle leader. Tesla And Apple.

Farley, who called Field’s hiring a “watershed moment” at the time, also spoke fondly of the executive on Wednesday. He said Field was an “invaluable partner” who “built a world-class team at Ford.”

However, many of Ford’s software and electric vehicle initiatives have not yielded the expected results. Most notably, the automaker reported significant deficits in software revenue generation and announced in December that it would write down $19.5 billion related to the decline in electric vehicles and realignment of business priorities.

While several automakers have announced such impacts from electric vehicles, Ford’s depreciation was far greater than that of its closest rival. General engines, which announced approximately $7.6 billion in such fees.

In addition to Field’s departure, Ford on Wednesday announced a series of other changes to its advanced vehicle development products and European manufacturing.

“With this unified organization, I believe we are better positioned than ever to deliver high-quality vehicles, advanced digital experiences and cost-effective services at scale,” Galhotra said. “That’s what it’s all about.”