Ford CEO praises Xiaomi SU7’s experience: It’s the Apple of China
Ford CEO Jim Farley is taking an unusual approach to understanding his competition – he’s commuting in Chinese electric vehicles, including the Xiaomi SU7, which he says delivers a digital experience comparable to Apple products.
“I was very impressed with Xiaomi. It’s no wonder they’re so successful – they’re the Apple of China,” Farley said in a recent interview with Argentina’s La Nación. “You get into the car with your phone and don’t need to pair it because it automatically identifies you. It has facial recognition, an AI assistant in the vehicle, and can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in three seconds at the touch of a button. It feels like a Porsche Taycan.”
After visiting China last year, Farley directed his management team to select five of China’s best electric vehicles. These vehicles were flown to Chicago and driven back to Ford’s headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan. Since then, Farley and his team have been using these vehicles for their daily commutes to better understand the competition.
“Ford missed Japan, Ford missed South Korea, so we can’t miss China,” Farley emphasised. “The message to my team is clear: if the CEO respects competition from China, everyone in the company should too.”
Farley has previously acknowledged that Chinese manufacturers are far ahead technologically, admitting that when Ford hired Doug Field (former Tesla Model 3 chief engineer and Apple car project participant) as the company’s chief EV, digital, and design officer, they discovered Ford was 25 years behind competitors in key technological areas.
“Doug told me, ‘Jim, your parts release system, IT architecture, and CAD design tools are 25 years behind. You can’t compete with BYD. You need real expertise,'” Farley revealed.
Editor’s comment
The hands-on approach highlights growing concerns among Western automakers about Chinese manufacturers’ rapid technological advancement and potential market disruption, even as these vehicles have yet to enter the U.S. market in significant numbers.
Source: Sina
