Liputan6.com, Jakarta James Duncan Farley Jr., better known as Jim Farley, is a key figure behind the wheel of Ford Motor Company today.
As CEO, he is leading the automotive giant's transformation into the era of electric vehicles (EVs) and connected technology.
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Jim Farley recently made a surprising revelation after a team of Ford engineers dismantled a Tesla Model 3 and several Chinese-made EVs.
He described the experience as "humbling" and eye-opening to the efficiency of competitors.
"I was very humbled when we took apart the first Model 3 Tesla and started to take apart the Chinese vehicles. When we took them apart, it was shocking what we found," Farley told host Monica Langley in the interview, which is set to be released on Wednesday.
Jim Farley's Surprise from a Tesla Teardown
Jim Farley had his team of engineers tear down a Tesla Model 3 at Ford's benchmarking lab.
The primary goal of this common automotive industry practice was to understand why Ford's electric vehicles were more expensive and heavier to manufacture than their competitors.
The most surprising discovery was that the Tesla Model 3 had about 1.6 kilometers less electrical wiring than the Ford Mustang Mach-E.
These extra wires in the Mach-E added about 70 pounds of unnecessary weight, which in turn required a larger and more expensive battery.
Farley realized that Ford wasn't looking at the cost of the entire system, but rather just the parts, resulting in cheaper wiring but more expensive batteries.
He also noted that Chinese EVs and Tesla models used significantly fewer components and more sophisticated software structures.
These findings prompted Farley to overhaul Ford's entire EV strategy.
In 2022, he created a separate division called Ford Model e, focused on EV development and directly responsible for its results.
Although the division experienced significant losses, Farley saw it as a challenge that must be overcome for Ford's future.
Ford plans to compete with a focus on cost efficiency, software-defined vehicles, and supply chain resilience, with a goal of launching a $30,000 midsize electric truck by 2027.
Jim Farley Profile: Visionary Leader at Ford
Jim Farley was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on June 10, 1962, to American parents.
He spent his childhood there before moving to Greenwich, Connecticut.
His educational background includes a bachelor's degree in economics from Georgetown University and an MBA from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1990.
His grandfather worked at Henry Ford's River Rouge Plant in 1918, a fact that indirectly inspired his career in the automotive industry.
Before joining Ford, Farley spent 15 years at Toyota/Lexus, where he played a key role in the launch of the Lexus luxury brand and the Scion brand.
Jim Farley Joins Ford in 2007
Farley joined Ford in November 2007 as group vice president of Global Marketing.
Since then, his career has blossomed, taking on variousstrategic positions, including CEO and Chairman of Ford of Europe, President of Global Markets, and Chief Operating Officer.
On October 1, 2020, he officially assumed the role of Ford CEO Jim Farley, succeeding Jim Hackett.
Under his leadership, Ford focused on transforming itself into a leader in electric and connected vehicle production, implementing its customer-centric "Ford+" plan.
Farley was known for his straightforward, bold approach and strong vision in driving innovation, sustainability, and the adoption of new technologies in the automotive sector.