22/04/02
Lead
Car companies that have created an era must also make changes in line with the new era.
Author 丨 Yang Jing
Responsible editor 丨 Xu Jinkai
Edit 丨 Chic
"For Ford, the real hallmark of success is whether we're leaving a better world for the next generation. Since its inception, Ford has always aimed at this. In the joint letter of Bill Ford and Jim Farley, for example, Ford Motor Co.,D.'s 2022 comprehensive annual report is roughly summarized.
This is also the second consecutive year that Ford has released a comprehensive annual report on the company, including sustainability and annual financial reports, and it is also the 23rd consecutive year that Ford has released an annual report on corporate sustainability, focusing on the transformation process of the company leading the electrification revolution this year.
The American car company, which has been established for 118 years, once created an era, and now in the gear of the new era, this century-old car company will make changes in line with the trend. This is a challenge for Ford's generation and an opportunity for the company to continue to make history.
Ford expects to produce more than 2 million electric vehicles a year by 2026; by 2030, electric vehicle sales will account for 50% of the company's global sales. It also expects to achieve full carbon neutrality by 2050, taking into account climate risk management, responsible sourcing of raw materials and support for a "just transition".
To remain competitive and leading in the new era of intelligent and connected electric vehicles, Ford plans to invest more than $50 billion globally from 2022 to 2026 in the research and development of models and power battery technologies in the field of electrification.
In addition, Ford has proposed a sustainable financing framework to drive investment in social and environmental projects, paving the way for the company's first green bond, which will generate $2.5 billion in financing over 10 years to help support its new electric vehicle portfolio.
To ensure full electrification, Ford will build several new world-class, state-of-the-art, and efficient automotive plants. Ford and SK Innovation also announced $11.4 billion in joint investments in BlueOval City and three BlueOval SK joint venture battery plants in Kentucky and Tennessee.
Ford is also partnering with Redwood Materials, a leading supplier of battery materials, to make electric vehicles more sustainable and affordable for Americans by localizing supply chain networks, creating recycling options for used and end-of-life batteries, and promoting the development of lithium-ion batteries.
Ford also plans to open a global battery center, Ford Ion Park, in southeastern Michigan, to invest in the development, testing, and manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries and battery arrays, as well as solid-state battery technology.
Over the next 5 years, Ford will invest more than $525 million in the professional development and training of automotive technicians working in electric and connected cars.
Earlier this year, Ford announced plans to invest more than $30 billion in electrification by the end of 2025 to develop smart all-electric vehicles, including the Mustang Mach-E, Ford Transit All-Electric Version, and all-electric smart pickup F-150 Lightning.
Ford expects that the annual demand for global Ford car batteries will reach 240GWh, of which the annual demand for Ford pure electric vehicle batteries in North America will reach 140GWh, and the rest of the demand will mainly come from pure electric vehicles launched in the European and Chinese markets.
In the North American market, Ford still sold 22,000 Mach-Es last year despite chip shortages and shutdowns caused by the pandemic, while the F-150 Lightning's retail bookings were close to 200,000 units, with about 75 percent of F-150 Lightning bookings coming from Ford's new customers.
The F-Series is the best-selling pickup truck in the U.S. for 45 years, and for Ford and the U.S. automotive industry, the F-150 Lightning represents a defining moment for Ford's journey toward zero-emission, digitalization. "As revolutionary as Henry Ford and the Model T, the F-150 Lightning will revolutionize transportation in a new era of zero-emissions."
Ford is preparing to launch seven pure electric vehicles in Europe, and plans to sell more than 600,000 electric vehicles in the market by 2026. Subsequently, the production of electric vehicles based on Volkswagen's MEB platform will be doubled to 1.2 million units. Sell all-electric or plug-in hybrids by 2026 and fully electrify by 2030.
Ford motor announced plans last year to invest $1 billion to transform its plant in Cologne, Germany, into an electric vehicle factory and a "manufacturing center" in Europe. It will invest up to US$316 million to produce parts for electric vehicles at its Herwood plant in northern England.
In the Chinese market, Ford Mustang Mach-E belongs to Ford's China Electric Vehicle Business Unit and has carried out independent channel construction, which will also uniformly manage more electric vehicle products in the future. The domestic Ford Mustang Mach-E has officially opened delivery in December last year, and sales continue to rise.
At the same time, Ford has also taken the lead in launching a series of disruptive business models, including opening 25 Ford Select exclusive brand city stores for high-end smart electric vehicles and putting them into operation, taking the lead in adopting a direct sales model, and accelerating the electrification transformation of the Ford brand through a digital experience that focuses on full-time user relationships, as well as a more convenient charging network and charging experience.
There is no doubt that Ford's ambition is to lead and scale the electric vehicle revolution. Over the next two years, Ford aims to become the second-largest electric vehicle manufacturer in North America, and then challenges the number one position with huge investments in battery and electric vehicle manufacturing.
Yang Jing
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