Ford Just Gave Up On The Same Thing VW Did

Ford was planning to build a new electronic brain for its next-generation vehicles. An electrical architecture that the company had referred to as being pivotal in its efforts to compete with the likes of Tesla and Rivian for EV efficiency. It would cut costs, improve quality, and add features Ford could turn a profit on. The American automaker spent big bucks on bringing the system to market. Now, a new report says that Ford has dropped the project. A move that could have ongoing effects on the company’s future products, like a next-gen F-150 Lightning, and its profits.

Costs And Delays Behind The Course Correction

Ford killed the project because of increasing costs and delays, Reuters reports. The news company said that it was told by a spokesperson that the automaker would absorb the learning from the FNV4 development into its current software system.

“We are committed to delivering fully connected vehicle experiences across our entire lineup, regardless of powertrain, while many others in the industry are bringing the most advanced tech only to electric vehicles,” the spokesperson said.

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According to the report, Ford began notifying a select group of employees of the news last week. It used a company video to break the news. The video said that Ford was planning to bet on its in-house secret skunkworks team and current electrical architecture.

Newer automakers were able to start from scratch with software. They forged new supplier relationships and designed new architectures. That lets them integrate vehicle functions more thoroughly, and offers advantages for over-the-air updates and the ability to control features through software.

Ford Is Not The Only One Refocusing Efforts

Legacy automakers like Ford have a more patchwork system. Reuters gives the example of a power-seat, where the supplier normally delivers and controls the controller software to Ford. Spread that across every system in the car, and networking and integration are a mess.

Ford CEO Jim Farley spoke about it on his podcast in 2023. “We have about 150 of these modules with semiconductors all through the car,” the CEO said. “The problem is the software is all written by 150 different companies, and they don’t talk to each other. So even though it says Ford on the front, I actually have to go to (supplier) Bosch to get permission to change their seat-control software.”

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The automaker is far from the only one suffering from this issue. Volkswagen Group’s Cariad division has had similar troubles. The once highly-touted software division, which focused on “digital future technologies,” is said to be the reason for delays behind Audi’s Project Artemis self-driving software and VW’s Project Trinity fast-charging, long-range electrics. It’s also blamed for delays in the electric Golf and others. VW formed a joint venture with Rivian to try help bring it forward.

Source: Reuters