Producers’ Pick | Ford CEO Jim Farley on Innovating Electric Vehicles

The first time I saw it I got goosebumps was perfect for me. I felt like we could go anywhere together. There's nothing like finding your match cars.com with over 50,000 cars at a daily and a powerful advanced search you're sure to discover the one find your perfect match on cars.com today so much talk about electric cars and how if the transition even know right now, they're more expensive they are hard to get rare earth is certainly a challenge. In order to make the batteries in order to actually make the cars I will and welcome back Brian kill me here.

I chance on what made America great to do five more specials about things about our pessimist separators.

I did the history the automobile.

One thing was great as I talked about what the history but the future is able to do with Jim Farley. He is the Ford CEO and yes related to Chris Farley. He talked about the four lightning the new pickup creating these electric vehicles in dealing with the government. Here's my interview with Jim Varley, CEO Holly, where are we right now we are in the reps are new F1 50 lightning theater thinking four seconds, America's best-selling vehicle for 40 years or electrifying. It is a brand-new site in the middle plant we built 1928 when operating continuously in the middle of that tore down what buildings built our most sustainable zero mission plan. What made you want to launch this three years ago.

Well, we had a very small group of very maverick people in the company is America's best-selling the and we thought, what is more iconic than defying the F1 50 and what is more, the biggest employer in our industry. This is the perfect vehicle to elect doing this.

This quick and produced a product that is between 40 and $80,000 so well.

We had redesign the frames that all the batteries all the testing design the Strunk do all the testing the power your home for three days is a lot of engineering did you know this could be done.

Did you been few that could be done.

The first rain we got for this truck was 100 miles from now, 328 are even our own engineering team was like to know.

I don't know right now but we pushed through, we had a really maverick team Pushing and things like how Pro power on board we only decide on a year ago to to power a jobsite of your house. We made a lot of quick decisions when you start doing this and you start seeing the improvement you question for the outsiders is is the country ready for because a lot of truck drivers like the feeling of the V-8 engine on the gas in the reputation with electric cars notices these really electric trucks will you have the power so so you know I'm one of those people. And now we know that we sell million of these year, the reality is a fast 0 to 60 we have is probably six seconds missing for so if you want to have a fun ride just before dinner.

This vehicle is one of the fastest people swimming right where you convince decide for the reservations they came. Why are you convinced that the American people would be open to where years past. They were bought the truck customers.

We know better than anyone. They were the first to adopt new technology in fishing and hunting. They have titanium reels coming. These are the most technology used in vehicles done by truck customer that multiple laptops in their vehicle doing work in their vehicle. They love technology so we were very confident that ring a product that was no regrets faster that Trina miles ranged.

It had 10,000 pounds towing that they would love the technology and self driving. Yes yeah that deal for us. Actually, and we can over there update that in fact, you know, we can send software over the air to to launch crews now people hands off the wheel for a lot of commuting time. You can do other things in the front truck. Yes, that storage is important because obviously when you pick up truck to get some protection is an out not only Tony Soprano but lots of people would look that power front.

It's fantastic. It's huge 400 pounds we find a lot of our work customers work out of the front of the truck you see measuring tape their plugs because even at night. We deleted all so you can be a workspace or your home to home improvement use for your truck the workspace and have lots of tools, expensive tools to the government push you to do this.

No way no way this is what you get greener regulations on and still this is the response of the government has been Pres. Biden came here, drove himself the day before we launched it.

I mean there excited about this is so hard working Americans. My grandfather worked in this plane, and so it's it's fantastic. It's such a such an American story. What were doing here good paying American jobs. The future of our industry Digital Products over the air with software new jobs. The batteries are built in Georgia and this thing is a great truck. It's look it's it it's a better truck than a lot of the trucks we make. What what could you not like about this. So the manufactory did have 500 jobs already exists, understand that we know it's been 40 and 80,000 goes over 320 miles per anything that people worry about is the rear roof needed for the batteries. A kobold gadget with the you have different types of things that we don't assume we have in our backyard strip. We had a change that.

How do you get ended and is not figuring when you decide to do this. Sure will have to start somewhere first most important thing for us to have really good principles of how those materials get to this country. Second thing is we have to localize with a lot of lithium in North America. Salton Sea in California, lithium, but we have to extract and process it here not send it to Asia and also nickel yes kobold rare-earth really important, but the real raw materials. The volume of raw materials we need to develop in this country are nickel and lithium.

We have to start and were doing not see a lot of new news from Ford about commitments mining locally and that require the government to give us fast, faster permitting and and allow us to do this kind of work in the USG related to the prison, you betcha, this one of the biggest constraints about the journey is very very difficult and time-consuming to get mining permits and processing permit. We have to change that in our country is in the well lithium biggest reserve and lithium in the United States is in the scope.

Seeing California. It's incredible.

Just waiting there for us to get nickel is more complicated that requires really very capital intensive mining operations during calendar in Canada. By the way, and we should be able to do in our country we have the we have the abundance of raw material but we have to get busy the first time I saw it I got goosebumps, perfect for night felt like we could go anywhere together. There's nothing like finding your management on cars.com. With over 50,000 cars at a daily and a powerful advanced search you're sure to discover the one find your perfect match on cars.com today is also the Congo and yes I know the Chinese are massive ways to get it wouldn't work at the Ford company American car company how involved are you and your team in trying to seal some of that up for your course variable actually. I'm so glad you brought this up because most people understand how important this is. We lost the supply chain for solar and so many other important things in our country we have to get this back.

The first step is to work with our JV technology battery partners because they're the ones who have the purchasing power today. Then once the make sure that they buy the mining and processing material through the right way. No corruption with the local government, you know the right principles, then we start to build that raw material capacity here in the United States for learning, but then we have to move it to the US and by the way, our partners want to move here. Right when we manufacture. Yes, the Temple World Cup World Cup, that's great, who turns out to cut or hire slave labor in order to build their stadiums is that the legacy of the world's most popular game how Concerta uses CO Ford when you get your product that you didn't get it off the backs of people that had no choice.

You betcha that's super important. Why would the largest employer in America. In our second we are at the best-selling vehicle in North America or in the US but we bet on the US we better manufacturing in this country right here in Michigan. People like my grandfather. So we have to do this and it's really important for independence as a country, moving from energy independence like we had to raw material independence. You also know what it's like when the government doesn't want help and you have to tell the oil and gas people about that will give you lease it will give you permit to be perpetuity releases suit in court to hold this up, you use the leverage of saying this is green this environmentally friendly. I need some support here instead of some obstacles.

So far we've had very good reception for these conversations but we are starting this. The first inning of a nine inning game right so we'll see. But so far a lot of support, but it's going to come down to permits processing. You know those kind of concrete actions to solve this problem absolutely so that 200,000 rolling off you hope to sell you worry about cannibalizing yourself that the F1 50 notes are taken away from sales gas vehicles were we work as we bill the gas one right across the street here we were, but action didn't turn out that way. So far, 75% of the people having more interested in lightning very different cost. I also heard to Lehman here but need a bunch of chips for this.

Yes everybody knows is probably chips yes how you guys would attack wads is a big topic. What were doing right now is prioritizing this production. The chips that we do get we want to make sure that the lightning you know this about 3000 chips in every lightning. Yeah people don't understand how technically advanced cars are these days. So you know that will protect production as a broader thing we have to get localize localize the chips supply government is debating right now.

The chips act. We work with global foundries in upstate New York. We want to build or chips in the US were willing to invest it for.

We need some help from the government to do that and we sure hope that we make progress over the next months to do that people need to be explained that if we are preproduction back here in your product on the price is also a bit more, but that's the price of security and employment. If you buy a Ford you are buying, you are betting on a company that's been on America.

We make 100% of trucks in US nor the brand in the US can save none of our domestic competitors can say that hundred percent of our trucks are made here. So yes we vote.

That's Ford grandfather were to write and now you're running the company about this vehicle. Take the test drive we decided that screen was the bid. That's the size most people's television. I think that is that you ask for the user experience on the technology is great in this vehicle we develop with Marquis. I think this price people. I personally think is better than the Tesla.

You know how you interact. I think it's more usable. You know will see. I think the most exciting thing just stepping on the gas can help if the 8000 pound full-size truck that goes for seconds 0 to 60. That just doesn't compute. It's like it is instant torque. I think the driving experience is really something that's going to grab people's attention last question on this if you could do it so quickly. Three years and read to market in a matter of months. Why do you take so long to do. Why was this so long in coming.

For the longest time weird is that he really top to build electric car manufacturers can make it make sense. You guys have a new mission and you're about to give it to the American what what took so long and then why was it produced so fast.

What I mean we started four years ago.

I mean, this is not like Johnny-come-lately project. There was a small group of us start work on this project four years ago where to redesign the frame sign. The batteries localize a production. The batteries do all the testing you know submerging a watering it was so many things we didn't know about, but now we know and work his feet out to get the 600,000 units production companywide here in the next 12 months. So this is what we do.

We are Ford Motor Company. We love building complicated things in America backs more with Jim Farley bodily great personality, charismatic, we come back to history afford and what it's meant to America kill me that this person is America's weather. Do you know, your fox weather updates throughout your busy day subscribe and listen. Mao and Fox news digest.com or wherever you did your podcasts they look back everybody I judge you, probably one of the CEOs great personality. Now we got the job. Also, it is kind of interesting that he drives a Tesla. Any rise above drives old 72 bronco I said why Tesla so all you knowledge I just like to know the competition is doing think that says a lot about his personality so listen to the story. I do this years ago.

What makes America great and I'm able to do these long interviews of the special people about the history the automobiles. I want to bring some I interviewed Jim Farley to the root to all the listeners because I couldn't put it all in the feature. This is the history afford that only what is meant to the world, but specifically what is meant to America.

This wonderful guy this fantastic company is made to Jim Farley so Jim, how important is the history.

It's everything you mean what what makes for different is our principles for family company. Bill Ford had this vision of electric vehicles many years ago our rear management team is committed that you know this or family. We bet on America on working on these principles are part of our DNA.

When the coven happened. You know, no one asked us no one had asked us like the government to make ventilators which is now dated you know that's that's the DNA of our company. When you go see those black and white footage of this skinny genius in Henry Ford sure what you think about my grandfather, you know, he worked for Mr. Ford. Back then people call yeah and he you know there was a whole generation of Depression-era people that you know appreciated this jobs jobs in America. That's what I think of my grandfather bringing his lunch bucket in with my grandmother sandwich and in the guidance as I have an idea how help the government out of World War I. How the government bills and trenches and filaments well but then when they stop Malcolm over and I'll make this route have mass manufacturing. The Army need this display. I wish everyone in America could come to the roots like you have it. It's this part of our American story Volkswagen Fiat every Toyota everyone copied this point we've been operating here since 1928 now were making zero emission vehicles and you're still working better to win. Would people talk about America and the car. What is the karma to America and in record meant to America freedom freedom, its physical manifestation of our belief is a country I get in my car in go anywhere I want in New Orleans. Can it tell me what to do when you walk through the museum and see these cars and how they have what you think I I think about how how special companies how how important our company is that we can we can do what Henry Ford did with the model T again.

We've almost been waiting for hundred years to do the model T again this chance the growing adults prosperity to Americans by bringing raw materials and battery production. With these new digital products. That's what I think of is like we have a chance to build a new company World War I, they needed somebody to submarines.

Ford built a a page. Some to chase submarines World War II need to shut down the car manufacturing bill Jeep to whatever the government need and then in the pandemic the company to ventilate you did it, how much pride do you have total mean.

That's why many of us come to work for that sense of pride I were to try it for 20 years.

I came here for that reason and also with the car his men to people sure.

I mean it's it's our whole livelihood in many people around the world with diet and drive in F1 50.

This is such an exotic vehicle TCO chicken limited right you know only in America. What's next whole fleet of new electric right and is the beginning jet packs. One day I will figure out this one first. Thank you alright so I hope you do that interview and Jim Farley did something kinda cool. I got a cell number so when things get exciting again with electric cars with the price of oil and gas I can text him maybe bring them back to their personality. Once again thanks much was the brain to me.

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