Trying to understand how NEXT spent $1B in 2021, $0.9B in 2022, and plan to spend $300M in 2023. Is NEXT like a VC slush fund? Are any insiders profiting from this? Did PWC completed an audit? I’m a Ford shareholder. I would like to get transparency around Ford NEXT. I contacted Ford Investor relations and was told to look at the standard published fillings.
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Speaking of driving with gloves on. Always thought the climate control knobs in the Toyota FJ Cruiser were of ideal size and spacing and very practical. For spatially challenged drivers they could have the middle knob be a raised X instead of a raised line.
Sometimes Ford does something just for tech sake. It’s like everyone is driving in CA where the weather is always sunny and dry.
Also hilarious how first Ford wants to go knob-less, all touchscreen, and now they are trying to re-invent knobs for safety purposes.
How does that knob concept work when you are wearing gloves?
Regarding knobs,
My understanding is they are looking at multifaceted knobs for different functions. So the driver can tell what knob it is but the number of facets (somewhat like braille)
For example: the volume knob may have 13 facets, climate knob 14 facets, fan speed knob 17 facets, and shift knob 25 facets. You can imagine the driver will develop the “feel” for the different number of facets and can easily identify each function while keeping the eyes on the road = next innovation level ->
Meanwhile Ford NEXT tries to patent large knobs that drivers can use to change heat/ac levels, radio stations etc. without taking their eyes off the road.
It’s almost like Ford NEXT people have never been inside of a Peterbilt and think they are coming up with novel concepts. How about putting in the easy infinite steering wheel adjustment and pedal adjustment- lots of customers would appreciate those.
F Next has multiple patents in the works for a new sun visor pocket concept that will allow easy access to contents when the sun visor is in any position. Currently, sun visors only have pockets that can be accessed in a single position. This may sound trivial, but with distracted driving at an all time high, the new pocket concept aims to reduce many distracted driving mishaps.
My understanding is there are many more similar ideas FX is working on for future implementation = so stay tuned.....
For some reason the ADT website doesn’t mention a vehicle security system partnership with Ford. Maybe because it doesn’t actually exist?
I just bought a Ring Protect Go car cam from Amazon for $250 plus $60/year for when it’s not connected to Wi-Fi. Works great.
If the Canopy people’s spreadsheets have numbers bigger than that, the numbers need to be challenged.
Ford Next is at least half the reason Ford lost $2 billion in 2022.
They spent all that money but didn’t buy a clue.
Ask the Board why General Motors was able to create their startup, Brightdrop, which delivered the first 500 vans only three months after the factory was built and sold out their 2023 production, but here at Ford, after five years of Fordnext and FordX, and billions of dollars spent, FORD HAS NO STARTUPS OPERATING.
@1qft+1lSYlWL9
Please name one Ford Next idea that will benefit Ford blue, pro, or Model e.
It isn’t Canopy, which doesn’t actually exist and has no chance of being profitable.
You can’t name a single idea.
We’ll all wait for your reply.
Take it easy everyone. Ford Next is working on amazing solutions to enhance all product lines. Here is an example:
"Dead Battery? Ford Has a Plan to Send Drones to the Rescue"
https://www-barrons-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.barrons.com/amp/articles/ford-drones-dead-battery-tesla-1ce43f7b
Ask why the incompetence at Next is costing Ford $2,739,720 EVERY SINGLE DAY with ZERO results to show for the expense. Think about that. This group is costing us almost THREE MILLION DOLLARS PER DAY.
Ask Bill Ford why.
OP, other good questions:
What has Franck Louis Victor done to earn his $5 million salary the past two years?
What has Rob Moser done to earn his million dollar salary the past year?
What has Christian Moran done in the 20 years he’s been at Ford and what makes him worth a million per year?
Remember NeXT Computers?
Thank you, OP, for asking those questions. Employees and shareholders would like answers as to why billions ar3 spent with nothing to show for it.
OP here. I plan to attend shareholder meeting on May-11 and ask a question or two! All your comments concern me.
Ford Next is an annual waste of a billion dollars, with nothing to show for it.
Ford Next is a fraud. Its led by a reject from Renault, Franck Louis-Victor. They are a repackaged Ford Smart Mobility, dev revenue streams beyond traditional vehicle ownership. Canopy is a result of this group. Try getting a clear understanding what Canopy offers and you get jibberish, they were laughed at CES. Christian M0r@n and Robert M0$er are some of the directors that have built empires and accomplished nothing other than drain valuable resources and cash from the company. No roadmap, no strategy, nothing. Investors are well aware and issue warning to keep away from Ford based on the failures of this groups leadership. Do your homework, ask for details and how it translates to real dollars, they all run and hide or talk B$. Shut them down, terminate their leadership and Ford will show profits!
Ford Next is a highly technical development arm of the company. Obviously it is an organization that is not set up to make billions in profits. Ford blue, pro, and Model e will be the benefactors that enjoy the profits of Next's ideas when they go into production.
I remember Ford X!!! They had an open house a while back in WHQ lobby. I got a cup or T-shirt out of that event. I need to find it in my garage.
Next is a group of people who have no qualifications to do acquisitions and new concepts, which is why they’ve spent $5 BILLION over the past five years (they used to call themselves Ford X, trying to make themselves sound like a Elon Musk company), yet have NOTHING TO SHOW FOR THE MONEY SPENT.
Their most recent PR was in JANUARY 2022, over a year ago, for a security camera subscription partnering with ADT, that isn’t planned to be available until 2024. In the meantime, there are other security companies named “Canopy,” ADT is losing money year after year because Ring doorbell and the dozens of other cheaper security cameras out there are taking business from them.
Apparently, Bill Ford thinks this group is great, and because Farley does what ever Bill tells him to do, here we are. If we need to save $2 billion in expenses, this is where we should start. Innovation used to come from all employees, not just a chosen few who aren’t even qualified to do this work.
It is the new sign being posted above all exits in all Ford buildings.
Ford Next is a group of useless losers who contribute nothing to the company. I have worked closely with them. They refuse as many assignments as they can and do as little work as possible. Cut the whole division. Ideas that don't go anywhere don't make money.
Transparency...that's a good one! Farley can't even be transparent to the Ford employees, let alone its share holders!
Seems to have the info all over the internet for ford-next (AV) . . . Making an investment in AV. No expert in past investments or spinoff's, but developing technologies has costs and maybe not investing and missing an opportunity has even greater costs.
Imagine the company that lock the industry on the next new technology and doesn't share at any costs.
https://fordauthority.com/2022/03/ford-next-created-by-jim-farley-last-year-to-spur-av-tech-development/
https://www.autonews.com/executives/ford-amid-internal-reorganization-creates-unit-developing-autonomous-vehicles-new
I haven't heard any ideas, let alone programs, which Ford Next has come up with. Would be nice to know.