Core Viewpoint - Ford has abandoned its FNV4 project aimed at developing a next-generation electronic and electrical architecture due to soaring costs and delays, which were seen as critical to competing with electric vehicle pioneers like Tesla [4][6]. Group 1: Project Overview - The FNV4 project was intended to simplify vehicle software functions, reduce costs, improve quality, and enhance profitability in both electric and gasoline-powered vehicles [6]. - The project has led to significant losses in Ford's electric vehicle division, with total losses of $4.7 billion in 2023 and projected losses of $5 billion in 2024 [6]. Group 2: Software System Challenges - Current automotive software systems are often fragmented, integrating code from numerous suppliers, making maintenance and updates difficult [9]. - CEO Jim Farley highlighted the complexity of managing software from 150 different suppliers, which complicates updates and can lead to quality issues [11]. Group 3: Future Directions - Ford is merging its existing electronic and electrical architectures into a universal architecture to be applied across various models and powertrain types [20][21]. - The company is focusing on a new advanced electric vehicle platform (Skunkworks project) that allows for a complete redesign and creation of a flexible internal software platform suitable for future electric vehicles [23]. Group 4: Competitive Landscape - Ford is competing with General Motors and Stellantis in developing advanced electronic devices and software, which are crucial for delivering better vehicles more quickly [24]. - The industry faces a choice between maintaining traditional methods or reforming vehicle design and manufacturing processes to remain competitive in the software-defined vehicle market [25].