Ford’s EV and technology chief steps down from automaker

Doug Field, the executive who played a central role in shaping Ford Motor Company’s electric vehicle and technology direction over the past five years, is stepping down from the company. His departure was announced on Wednesday as part of a broader restructuring of Ford’s leadership.

Field joined Ford in 2021, bringing extensive experience from Silicon Valley, including leading Apple’s special projects team and serving as senior vice president of engineering at Tesla. His recruitment marked a significant step in CEO Jim Farley’s plan to transform the legacy automaker into a company focused on software, electric vehicles, and advanced technologies.

Reporting directly to Farley, Field was initially responsible for overseeing Ford’s embedded software and hardware operations. His scope included vehicle controls, enterprise connectivity, feature integration, validation, platform architecture, driver assistance systems, and digital engineering tools. In effect, he led the design and development of the full technology stack used across Ford and Lincoln vehicles, covering infotainment, navigation, connected services, driver-assist features, and vehicle cybersecurity.

Field became one of the most prominent leaders within Ford, frequently highlighted by Farley during earnings calls. He was also closely involved in a major restructuring that split the company into three divisions: an EV and digital services unit, a traditional internal-combustion-engine business, and a commercial-vehicles segment. In addition, he helped drive a secretive internal initiative — often described as a skunkworks program — focused on developing a low-cost electric vehicle.

As part of the latest reorganisation, Ford has introduced a new “product creation and industrialisation” group, which chief operating officer Kumar Galhotra will lead. The electric vehicle and design teams previously led by Field will now be part of this newly formed organisation.

The restructured division has been given ambitious targets. These include achieving an 8% adjusted profit margin for Ford’s Ford+ commercial business by 2029, as well as refreshing a significant portion of the company’s product lineup — 80% of its North American portfolio by volume and 70% of its global portfolio within the same timeframe. Key future products under this plan include the Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) platform, a mid-sized pickup, and next-generation versions of the F-150 and F-Series Super Duty trucks.

The UEV platform itself originated from the internal skunkworks effort, now formally known as the Advanced Development Projects team. Alan Clarke, a former Tesla executive who has led that initiative, has been appointed vice president of Advanced Development Projects as part of the new structure.