Benzinga·2025-09-30 12:30Core Insights - Ford CEO Jim Farley expresses greater concern about competition from Chinese automakers in the electric vehicle (EV) sector than from Tesla, highlighting their ability to deliver innovation at lower costs [1][2] - The company is undergoing a significant transformation to become a more efficient and higher-margin business, which is now at a critical juncture due to declining EV demand in the U.S. and increased competition from Chinese firms like BYD and Xiaomi [1][3] Global Competition - Farley emphasizes that the competition with China extends beyond EVs, warning that losing this competition could jeopardize Ford's future [3] - He notes that Chinese automakers are dominating the global EV landscape, making it difficult for traditional U.S. automakers to compete effectively [2][3] Manufacturing Strategy - Ford's response to the competitive pressure is the introduction of the Ford Universal EV Platform, which aims to streamline manufacturing by producing EVs in three main components [4] - This new platform is described as a "Model T moment" for Ford, with the potential to enable the production of more affordable EVs at scale, although the first vehicle from this platform is not expected until 2027 [4][5] Stock Performance - Ford's stock price increased by 0.67% to $12.09 per share, with a year-to-date rise of 25.28% and a 14.49% increase over the past year [6] - Despite the positive price trend, the stock's Quality and Growth rankings are noted to be relatively poor, indicating potential concerns about long-term performance [6]