No More People
Impressive. That was the term Jim Farley, CEO of Ford Motor Company, used after his recent visit to China. The technological progress and efficiency he witnessed in Chinese factories left a deep impression. ‘If we lose this battle, Ford has no future.’
After visiting a series of factories, Jim Farley was surprised by the technical innovations integrated into Chinese cars—from self-driving software to facial recognition. “The cost and quality of their vehicles are far superior to what I see in the West. We are in a global competition with China, and it’s not just about electric cars. If we lose this battle, Ford has no future.”
And: the Ford CEO is not the only Western executive who returned surprised after a visit to the Far East. Andrew Forrest, the Australian billionaire behind mining giant Fortescue—which heavily invests in green energy—says his trips to China convinced him to stop producing electric drivetrains for vehicles in-house. He tells The Telegraph: “I can show you factories in China now, where you stand next to a large conveyor belt and machines rise from the floor and start assembling parts,” Forrest says. “You walk along this conveyor belt, and after about 800 to 900 meters, a truck drives out. There are no people. Everything is robotic.”