US carmaker Ford's CEO Jim Farley said that taking apart Tesla and Chinese electric vehicles(EVs)was"shocking"and pushed him to shake up the US company,Business Insider reported.Such remarks highlighted the leapfrog development of China's EV industry,which has taken the global lead,a Chinese expert said on Wednesday.
When taking apart competitors'vehicles,as is standard practice in the automobile industry,Farley said that the company found Ford's Mustang Mach-E had about 1.6 kilometers more wiring than a Tesla Model 3.When it took apart vehicles from Chinese EVs,the findings were similarly surprising,Fortune reported on Tuesday.
Speaking in a podcast,Farley said that"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,"according to a Business Insider's report on Tuesday.
Farley further pointed out that the teardowns convinced him the US automaker had to change to match its new competitors.In 2022,Farley spun out the company's EV operations into a new division,which lost more than$5 billion in 2024 and is projected to face a similar hit this year,the Business Insider report said.
Farley made frequent remarks about Chinese EVs.In June,the Ford CEO described Chinese EVs as"far superior"to their Western counterparts,and last month he said Chinese brands like BYD were"completely dominating"the global EV landscape,according to Business Insider.
Such remarks highlight the leapfrog development of the Chinese EV sector through rapid technological iteration,fueled by first-mover advantages and accumulated expertise,while traditional automakers still struggle with their EV transition,Zhang Xiang,Secretary-General of the International Intelligent Vehicle Engineering Association,told the Global Times on Wednesday.
Zhang noted that Ford's teardown study indicates"Chinese standards are becoming global benchmarks,"and the expansion of China's supply chains is helping upgrade local industries abroad,creating mutual benefits.He emphasized that China's globally competitive supply chain provides unparalleled cost advantages through economies of scale.
China's NEV market has maintained robust growth momentum this year.In October,NEV sales surpassed 50 percent of all new car sales for the first time,marking a major milestone in the industry's rapid expansion,China Media Group(CMG)reported on Tuesday,citing data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers(CAAM).
Exports of NEVs have also continued to grow rapidly.China exported 256,000 NEVs in October,up 15.4 percent from the previous month and soaring 99.9 percent year-on-year,showcasing strong resilience in foreign trade,the CAAM said.
Zhang emphasized the mutual benefits of China's NEV expansion:"It not only provides global consumers with high-quality,affordable choices,accelerating electrification,but also helps build local supply chains and create jobs in overseas markets,particularly in developing regions."
