Bill Ford Jr. is the executive chairman of Ford Motor Company. He is one of the most important figures in the current automotive industry and is regarded by many as the company’s gatekeeper. He said in a recent interview that he knew Tesla’s experience well, but he didn’t attribute the success of its electric cars to Musk.
Bill Ford Jr. said that he knew Tesla before Musk when Tesla’s CEO was Mark Eberhard (Mark Eberhard).
At the time, their only car was a Lotus-derived electric sports car. Bill Ford Jr. said he saw the car and didn’t think it could become something important anytime soon, but the way Tesla was preparing for the business caught his attention. The fit and finish aren’t great, but this little car is “a blast to drive.”
But the problem is that other Ford executives/decision-makers are not keen to listen to him. He noted that Tesla had a significant lead. “Tesla has an advantage playing field for a long time because (traditional) car companies across the industry have chosen to deceive themselves (closed their eyes).”
He added that it wasn’t just “Detroit arrogance” that allowed Tesla to do its own thing without any real competition, but ignorance from Japan and Europe.
He believes that the big four car companies (Toyota, Volkswagen, GM and Ford) have been doing research in the wrong direction, and he (Tesla) is right. If we look closely at Tesla’s growth trajectory over the years, You will find that other car companies are only just beginning their electric vehicle journey.
In Ford’s executive chairman’s response, he praised Tesla’s design and performance, but also mentioned the contempt of its opponents, except that Elon Musk was not mentioned. It’s not hard to see from his remarks that he sees the absence of traditional automakers as the basis for Tesla’s victory.