In 2021, in addition to the lack of cores and the impact of the epidemic on the automotive market, the overall automotive industry is also developing in depth based on the "new four modernizations" trend of electrification, networking, intelligence and sharing. For traditional car companies, the test in 2021 is no longer only the competitiveness of products, but also the strategic layout of the future development of the automobile market, and the "examination ground" for electrification transformation.
In this case, thanks to Ford's ability to react quickly to market changes and industry changes, Ford China's cumulative sales reached nearly 625,000 units in the whole year, an increase of 3.7% year-on-year, and the market performed well. Among them, Lincoln's annual sales broke through the highest record since entering China, breaking through 90,000 vehicles for the first time, an increase of 48% year-on-year.
Obviously, Ford's counter-trend growth in 2021 can be attributed to the phased success of the "Ford China 2.0" strategic transformation plan. From the current point of view, consumer demand for Ford brand SUVs and high-end cars continues to remain stable, Lincoln China has set a record for sales, under the electrification and intelligence of All IN, "Ford China 2.0" began to achieve initial results.
| The "Ford China 2.0" strategic transformation plan has achieved a phased success
In 2019, Ford China proposed the concept of "More Ford, More China" and the "Ford China 2.0" strategic transformation plan. Although in the eyes of many people at the time, such a strategic plan was just like other car companies, just a "reassuring pill" for Ford China to eat for the Chinese market. But when we look back today, we can find that the "Ford China 2.0" strategy has indeed made Ford China have a transformation from the inside to the outside, and such changes have also made Ford China more relaxed in the face of changes and epidemics in the future.
Under the leadership of Ford Motor's global strategy Ford+, the four major center layouts of "Ford China 2.0" have fully demonstrated results in 2020, Andd China's research and development capabilities in new energy, product research and development and digital technology have been significantly improved, and new products have entered a bumper harvest period in 2021.
From a strategic point of view, the "Ford China 2.0", which is the core of the combat system, is not a transformation in the traditional sense, but a "bulldozing and restarting" from the all-round perspective of business thinking and execution methods. There is no doubt that this is extremely difficult for a car company with a century-old history. But it turns out that Ford has not only defeated itself, but has also found a special path in the same army of transformation. Under the brand orientation of "More Ford, More China", Ford China has broken the shackles of "traditional big factory" thinking in one fell swoop, and laid out product development centers, new energy centers, innovation centers and design centers with Chinese consumer demand as the core in the most innovative Chinese market.
In particular, the design center, which was just opened not long ago, relies on world-class advanced equipment, and has the ability to create a high value that perfectly integrates with China's innovation trend, and wins the extra favor of Chinese users in the era of cultural and technological integration. As Ford China President and CEO Anning Chen said, "The opening of the world-class design center is the latest impetus for Ford China to continue its brand transformation, and it is also the most intuitive way for Ford to connect with Chinese customers." ”
In addition to the design center, "Fuchuang Valley" also has a number of cutting-edge innovation teams such as intelligent networking and digital experience team, cutting-edge trend research team and electrification team. In the future, the design center will collaborate with the teams of Ford China Product Center, New Energy Center and Innovation Center to create product technology and services that meet the needs of Chinese consumers.
Jim Farley, president and CEO of Ford Motor, has said that for the Ford China team, it is more important to create a new DNA for Ford, a DNA with Chinese genes, which can deeply understand the Chinese market and Chinese consumers, and can truly be "consumer-centric".
Nowadays, with the gradual implementation of the five major plans of the four centers, the Chinese team has accumulated for many years in artificial intelligence technology, digital technology, product and service experience, etc., which not only brings younger, intelligent, and high-end models and technologies with Chinese genes to Chinese consumers, but also gradually feeds back the global market and plays a leading role in the transformation of Ford Motor's new four modernizations around the world, which is precisely the important significance of the "Ford China 2.0 Strategy" in addition to sales.
| Products have become an important foothold of "Ford China 2.0"
If a worker desires to do a good thing, he must first use it. For the market and end consumers, the most direct channel to feel the change of enterprises is the product, and the comprehensive renewal of the product has indeed become an important foothold of the "Ford China 2.0" strategy.
In terms of product layout, it can be seen that Based on years of rich experience in the Chinese market, Ford China has created a perfect and mature SUV product line layout, and has obtained a strong brand appeal in the high-end SUV market. For example, its Ford SUV model camp represented by The Ford Explorer, Ford Sharp And Ford Sharp Edge and Ford Sharp Edge performed well throughout the year, and the annual sales of Explorer increased by 43.4% year-on-year. Moreover, since the Lincoln brand gradually began to be localized in 2020, its domestic SUV "Three Musketeers" has been successful, with a total of 82,835 vehicles sold in 2021, accounting for 90% of the total sales of the entire series, which strongly boosted the Sales of the Lincoln brand to exceed the 90,000 mark.
In addition to continuing to expand its advantages in the field of SUV models, Ford also accelerated the pace of electrification and intelligence in the field of electrification and intelligence as a challenger, and began to fully layout the new energy market and accelerate electrification.
For example, in terms of electrification layout, Ford Motor plans to invest more than $30 billion in the research and development and production of pure electric models and batteries by the end of 2025; by the end of 2030, the company's pure electric models will account for 40% to 50% of global sales, while luxury brand Lincoln will achieve global electrification.
In terms of intelligence, Ford has hired Doug Field, a former apple automotive business program director, to develop advanced technologies and embedded systems. At the end of last year, Ford already had about 1 million Ford and Lincoln brand cars worldwide with OTA capabilities, and by the end of 2028, 33 million Ford and Lincoln brand cars are expected to achieve OTA upgrades worldwide.
In terms of products, Ford EVOS and the new Lincoln Z, led by the Chinese team and built around the needs of Chinese consumers, have applied a fairly advanced intelligent configuration while inheriting the brand design style and ensuring a high-quality driving control experience, showing the brand's leading scientific and technological strength.
It is reported that these two cars are equipped with a new generation of SYNC+ 2.0 Intelligent Mobility Interconnection System, which is known as the "best car machine for the joint venture brand", which is a new in-car entertainment system created for Chinese consumers based on Baidu's leading artificial intelligence technology, fully integrated into the rich Chinese application ecology. Even compared with the new local car-making forces, SYNC+ 2.0 is absolutely competitive.
It is worth mentioning that through the cooperation with EVOS's 1.1-meter-wide giant screen, SYNC+ 2.0 can also achieve split-screen, interactive and other functions, creating a smart cockpit with a smooth and rich use experience for users, and the strength circle fans of the new generation of consumers.
Not only that, as a new benchmark in the industry in the era of intelligent vehicles, in 2021, as the industry's first vehicle enterprise to mass-produce and apply the vehicle-to-road collaboration system, Ford has realized the standard vehicle-to-road coordination system in four mass production models of Mustang Mach-E, Ford EVOS, New Explorer and Ruijie PLUS, and also connected to the intelligent transportation network of nine major cities in China, promoting the comprehensive development of China's smart cities.
| Customer experience is fully upgraded
In addition to the changes in the industry, the needs of a new generation of consumers are also constantly changing and upgrading, showing a diversified style. The launch of the FordSelect high-end smart electric vehicle city experience store shows Ford's determination and determination to pioneer innovation and stand at the forefront of the new era of electrification and intelligence.
Combined with a hospitality-like service concept, the Ford brand accelerates the overall upgrade of the customer experience and expands it into the new design of the showroom, the upgraded after-sales service process and the new online member community. By establishing full-time, all-round customer relationships with consumers, providing them with exclusive customized services, empowering intelligent digital experiences and social spaces in the intelligent era, to create an innovative customer experience with more Ford brand characteristics.
With the milestone of Ford electrification - the first domestic pure electric SUV Mustang Mach-E officially opened delivery, Ford China through the integration of global resources and local advantages, in the brand and sales model of the courage to subvert themselves, Ford launched the exclusive electric vehicle brand Ford Select, accelerate the layout of electric vehicle exclusive direct sales city showroom, to create an industry-leading, and ford characteristics of the electric vehicle business model. By the end of last year, 25 urban exhibition halls had been opened in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chengdu and other places, and more than 100 in the next five years.
At the same time, Lincoln is also insisting on promoting the modernization of the network layout, innovating to create a new retail model that subverts the industry's tradition, and creating a new Lincoln Way Experience Center with the design concept of "American Luxury Club", and five new Lincoln Way Experience Centers have been officially put into operation.
Conclusion: Thanks to the "Ford China 2.0 Strategy" and Ford's continuous innovation and exploration in electrification and customer experience, not only has its performance in China increased steadily, but also in 2021, Ford's market value has exceeded 100 billion yuan for the first time, creating a new high in 20 years, and Ford has become the highest growth company in the US stock market in 2021. On January 13 this year, Ford's stock price stood at $25, which is a 200% increase from Jim Farley's $8 when he took office in October 2020.
It can be seen that in the eyes of the "only look at the future" investment market, every step of Ford's transformation shows what people expect. Behind this, it is precisely Ford that upholds the spirit of pioneering innovation, and through drastic reforms, it has established its own advantages on the runway of the new four modernizations, which have a positive effect on Ford in both overseas markets and the Chinese market.
As Chen Anning, president and CEO of Ford China, said, "A hundred years ago, Ford was a challenger to 'load the wheels for the world', and people began to pursue their dreams with wheels; for a hundred years, the brand spirit of pioneering innovation has always been rooted in Ford, this time, Ford has renewed and upgraded its brand in order to surpass again in the wave of electrification and intelligence." ”