Key Points:
- Doug Field is leaving Ford after spending nearly five years leading the automaker’s electric vehicle and technology divisions.
- Ford recorded a massive $19.5 billion writedown in December after canceling several electric vehicle programs under Field’s watch.
- Field’s team developed a new family of affordable electric vehicles, including a $30,000 pickup truck launching next year.
- Ford will combine its advanced technology and global industrialization teams under the leadership of Chief Operating Officer Kumar Galhotra.
Doug Field, a highly respected tech veteran with deep roots at Tesla and Apple, is leaving Ford Motor Company. Field spent nearly five years leading the automaker’s ambitious electric vehicle and technology efforts. Ford announced on Wednesday that Field, who most recently served as the chief electric vehicle, digital, and design officer, will officially leave the company next month.
Field spoke about his departure and reflected on his time at the historic automaker. He stated that he looks forward to sharing everything he learned during his long career with others in the industry. Ford originally hired Field back in 2021 specifically to oversee its advanced technology efforts. At the time, Ford CEO Jim Farley called the hiring a true watershed moment for the company. Farley believed Field’s arrival would help Ford completely rethink its approach to developing modern cars.
Detroit automakers constantly struggle to keep up with the fast-paced tech world. In recent years, legacy companies like Ford have increasingly relied on Silicon Valley expertise to transform their stubborn corporate cultures. They want to build tech-forward organizations that can move faster and entice modern customers with flashy new digital features and over-the-air software updates. The ultimate goal is to generate reliable, recurring revenue through monthly vehicle subscriptions.
However, the electric vehicle market has changed drastically since Field first arrived at Ford. Sudden policy changes and much lower-than-anticipated consumer demand rapidly reshaped the product plans for every major automaker. The company actually canceled many of the highly anticipated programs Field worked on during his tenure. These cancellations included several expensive next-generation electric vehicles, as well as a highly advanced electrical architecture originally engineered to serve as the complex digital brain for those new cars.
The financial toll of these cancellations was massive. In December alone, Ford recorded a staggering $19.5 billion financial writedown as executives officially stepped away from several failing electric vehicle programs. Despite these painful setbacks, Field views his time at the company differently. He told reporters on Wednesday that his entire journey at Ford was never really about the final products. Instead, he focused entirely on building a strong team, developing new internal capabilities, and helping build a modern tech culture within the old automaker.
Field will leave behind a massive legacy in the affordable electric vehicle space. One of his most lasting impacts will likely be Ford’s highly anticipated next-generation family of cheap electric vehicles. This new lineup starts with a brand new $30,000 electric pickup truck scheduled to arrive next year. Field worked closely with another Tesla alum, Alan Clarke, to lead the team’s massive effort to produce vehicles in the United States that could rival low-cost models from major Chinese automakers.
Following Field’s departure, Ford confirmed that Alan Clarke will now lead that specific team. The company officially named Clarke the new head of advanced development projects. CEO Jim Farley praised Field for his hard work, specifically crediting him with drawing top-tier tech talent to the aging automaker. Farley noted that Field made significant cultural changes that successfully reduced corporate complexity and accelerated decision-making. Farley stated confidently that the company will benefit from Field’s influence for many years to come.
With Field gone, Ford plans to reorganize its corporate structure completely. The automaker is actively combining its advanced technology team with its global industrialization team. Chief Operating Officer Kumar Galhotra will lead this newly merged group, which the company officially named “product creation and industrialization.” For years, Ford tried to strictly separate its electric-vehicle operations from its traditional gas-vehicle business, even reporting its financials separately. However, the company has since merged many parts of those organizations back together to save money.
Ford executives believe combining these massive teams will help the company aggressively attack the next few years of complex product, software, and service launches. The company called this upcoming period one of the most intensive launch schedules in its entire century-long history. The automaker set a massive goal, promising to completely refresh 80% of its North American vehicle lineup by volume, and 70% of its total global portfolio by volume, by the year 2029.
