Ford’s EV and software chief Doug Field is leaving the company

Doug Field, who left Apple five years ago to lead Ford’s multibillion-dollar bet on electric vehicles and software, will resign next month. He will be replaced by Alan Clarke, the former Tesla engineer who now heads Ford’s skunkworks laboratory, based in California. Clarke’s new title will be vice president of advanced development projects, and he will continue to lead efforts to develop Ford’s Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) platform.

The shakeup comes less than five months after Ford announced a massive $19.5 billion writedown on its investment in electric vehicles, as well as the discontinuation of several electric models, including the F-150 Lightning pickup truck. The company has abandoned plans to build a next-generation electric truck, named T3, and an electric commercial van. Instead, Ford would focus on hybrids as well as its existing lineup of gas-powered trucks and SUVs, while continuing work on its UEV platform, which will eventually support an entire family of low-cost electric vehicles, starting with a $30,000 midsize truck in 2027.

Ford also said it was creating a new “end-to-end organization” called Product Creation and Integration, with the aim of leveraging its existing vehicle platforms for “digital growth.” The team, which will be led by Ford Chief Operating Officer Kumar Galhotra, will be responsible for developing the automaker’s electric vehicles and digital products across the company.

In a briefing with reporters, Ford CEO Jim Farley praised Field for building a strong team that has shaped Ford’s high-tech capabilities. Field, for his part, said he hasn’t yet decided on his next role. When asked if it was inappropriate to leave before the UEV platform went into production, Field said he was simply “handing the baton” to the company’s industrial and manufacturing team.

“It’s actually pretty opportune timing, because I came to Ford to partner with people who know how to industrialize at scale,” Field said. “The product has reached a level of maturity where I am completely dependent on the experts at Ford, those who know how to bring it to a factory like Kentucky, operate it at high volume, build it to the highest quality and keep it affordable. That’s really why this transition point is an opportune time for me to pass the baton and pass the torch.”

Farley highlighted several changes coming to Ford, including plans to refresh 80% of its North American vehicle portfolio and 70% of its global portfolio by 2029. These updates will include new electrical architectures, enhanced interior experiences, higher levels of automation and a new generation of integrated services and software products, he said. By the end of the decade, 90% of Ford vehicles will feature entirely new electrical architectures, including zonal and partially zonal systems.

The loss of Field is the latest setback in Ford’s years-long quest to transform its vehicles from gas-guzzling analog vehicles to sleek, digitally sophisticated electric vehicles. At the time of his hiring, the only automaker offering a fast, seamless, and satisfying software experience was Tesla. Traditional automakers like Ford could only watch with envy as Elon Musk’s company released monthly live updates that amazed and delighted its many customers. Ford wanted it too, so he hired Field to lead the effort. In addition to leading Apple’s secret automotive project, Field also served as chief engineer at Tesla, overseeing the design of the Model 3.

During Field’s tenure, Ford rolled out a number of new features, including its popular and highly praised BlueCruise hands-free driver assistance system. Ford Digital Experience, the new Android-powered infotainment system that enhances rather than blocks smartphone mirroring, has been introduced. And the automaker launched its Skunkworks project to design its next-generation electric vehicle.

There were still some setbacks. Ford has abandoned its very expensive next-generation electrical architecture, also known as FNV4 (for fully networked vehicle). The platform was expensive, contributing to a $5 billion loss on electric vehicles and software in 2024, but also a key effort to update and improve Ford’s software experience. At the time, Field said it was more cost-effective to adapt Ford’s third-generation architecture – FNV3, now renamed FNV3.X – across the range, rather than building a new platform with more limited application.

This is not the first time Ford has considered organizational changes to improve its financial situation. In 2022, the automaker split its entire business into two separate entities: one focused on electric vehicles called Model e and another called Ford Blue focused on gas-powered trucks and SUVs.