Ford Motor Co.’s redesign of its biggest earner, the F-150 pickup, is geared more toward revamping its interior than a radical reworking of its sheet metal, adding conveniences like hands-free driving technology and reclining seats for sleeping.
Turns out, Sapna is in high demand from truck buyers, who bought about 900,000 F-series models last year, generating revenue of about $ 42 billion for the automaker. Ford did hundreds of hours of anthropological research on its owners to find out what they really wanted, a seat more like a cabin of first class aircraft than a simple shuttle bus.
Tau Thai-Tang, Director of Product Development, Tau Thai-Tang said in an interview, “Whether they are at work or when they are camping with their family, we find that many customers use their vehicle as their sanctuary I do They will come home from work and not go home yet.” In fact, they will spend “my time” in the truck. “
The interior upgrade comes as part of Ford’s F-150, which has not been acclaimed as the best-selling vehicle in the US for the past 38 years. The truck needed an overhaul to keep rivals General Motors Company and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV at bay. The Fiat Chrysler Ram in particular has been on the rise thanks to a popular giant screen that helped the truck line to overtake GM’s Chevrolet Silverado on the sales charts. Ford has managed to maintain the sales lead, but has come under pressure from buyers and its own dealers to match Ram’s high-tech interior.
The new F-150 that goes on sale later this year will feature a 12-inch touchscreen that matches the tablet-size offering on the Ram. The automaker will unveil its new truck Thursday night via an eye-catching social media channel hosted by comedian Denis Leary, who has been a paid Ford promoter since 2008.
Thai-Tang said, “Ram came out with a screen that was bigger than ours and now it’s our turn.” “We want to maintain our leadership.
“This truck has been Ford’s source of income for years and a bright spot during this pandemic,” said Jessica Caldwell, executive director of insights at automotive researcher Edmunds.
Ford hopes to find new commercial buyers and retail customers who want to work and sleep in their trucks. Another new feature is a shifter that folds into the center console, creating a flat workspace for a laptop or lunch.
The redesign is also a technological game, as Ford places the F-150 at the center of its drive toward electrification and autonomous driving systems.
The new truck will come in a gasoline-electric hybrid version at launch, and a fully battery-powered F-150 will arrive within two years, the automaker said. The hybrid will have an on-board generator that could power a workplace or home.
The F-150 will also become the first Ford vehicle to offer wireless software updates, as Tesla Inc. has done for years on its electric cars. And Ford is equipping the F-150 with the same hands-free driving feature that will apply to the launch of the electric Mustang Mach-E later this year.
“There was a point where pickup trucks were expected to be basic,” said Stephanie Brinley, head automotive analyst at IHSIT.
Thai-Tang said Ford’s bottom line should also bolt to an over-the-air software update. This enables the automaker to charge customers for new optional software-driven features over the life of the vehicle, creating a steady revenue stream.
No Product More Important
Ford must also show that it can successfully launch the new F-150 after the failed launch of its Explorer sport utility vehicle last year compounded its financial woes. The degree of difficulty has only increased after a two-month production shutdown to curb the spread of the cononavirus, which Ford has said will result in a $ 5 billion operating loss this quarter.
A new F-150 will pay dividends in the long run, but Ford is likely to temporarily lose some of the trucks to GM and Fiat Chrysler as it converts factories in Michigan and Missouri to produce the new truck, the Credit Suisse analyst wrote. . Dan Levy in a report. report on Thursday.
Ford is committed to minimizing downtime and will continue to produce the outgoing F-150 model at one plant, while converting the other to the new version.
A tremendous volume, a large amount of profit, two assembly plants with a huge economic impact in those communities where those employees work and live. Therefore, no product is more important to us. “
