With The Blue Oval’s increased focus on electric vehicles, we’re bound to see an increasing amount of EVs milling around its Dearborn headquarters. It’s also a good bet that not all of them will be FoMoCo products. In fact, Ford Authority exclusively caught a Tesla Model 3 (pictured below) with the tell-tale yellow sticker on its windshield, often seen on FoMoCo prototypes as well as competitor vehicles used for benchmarking purposes. In addition, the model seen here is sporting a Manufacturer license plate as it drove in the vicinity of the Ford headquarters.
Ford benchmarks Tesla Model 3 in Dearborn
While not a direct competitor to any current Ford product, the Tesla Model 3 is the best-selling electric vehicle in the United States as of this writing. Meanwhile, electric vehicles have become a major priority at The Blue Oval, with the automaker recently announcing that it’s working on two all-new dedicated EV platforms that are intended to support a wide range of future vehicles, including trucks, crossovers, and SUVs.
Considering that FoMoCo is already producing the Ford Mustang Mach-E, with plans to soon launch the Ford F-150 Lightning and Ford E-Transit, it’s not difficult to tell which way the wind is blowing. Additionally, an all-electric Explorer is already in development, according to Ford CEO Jim Farley. With a host of new EVs on the horizon, and Tesla as the dominant player in that emerging space, it makes sense that Ford would put a Tesla Model 3 under its benchmarking microscope.
In their mission to win as many customers as possible, automakers like Ford not only stack their own products against the competition in a particular segment, but also dissect products from across the spectrum. With the resources of experienced test drivers, engineers, and testing equipment, they can quantify things that most people only feel or perceive in the abstract. Figuring out precisely why some characteristic of the Tesla Model 3 is appealing, or how it achieves a certain technical capability, could hold the key to creating the next superstar in Ford’s own product line.
The other side of the same coin involves automakers looking for problem areas or pain points with competitor products, and aim to improve on those with their own products. The Ford Mustang Mach-E has been successful as a starting point, but clearly it’s intended to be the first of many Ford EVs to come out from the Dearborn-based automaker.
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Comments
Crossovers, SUV and a Trucks hopefully there’s a EV Lincoln Continental sedan and sedan Mustang in the future as well. The biggest problem is comparing both companies EV Systems, the Mach E has a lot of hose and clamps under the fruck where the Tesla used less parts and looked way more cleaner under it fruck. Some added work is need to the Ford in this area
And Tesla has more problems with its electronic doors, Infotainment screens, mitch matched plastics and panel gaps. I would love to give them credit for moving the EV game and making others step up. But Tesla’s lead will only last so long. Is that the best you could come up with regurgitating Monroe Live?
He still gave the Mustang Mach e its credit for being better than he expected. What about the Model 3 long range that’s not adding up to be the same in the real world testing? Alex Auto’s and others have stated that the miles aren’t quite the same. And if anything should happen with the clamps or hoses, they can be taken to any local ford dealership for repair. They don’t have to wait several weeks for a flatbed truck or service to pick it up for repair. Remember dirt can be thrown in both directions.
Let’s be clear about something I own Fords and work at a Auto Plant all those clamps and hoses Not Good period. I give credit where credit is due Tesla up started the EV market 499,000 like Henry Ford did the Model T, Auto Makers benchmark other company to learn the market they are entering. All Makers have issues that’s why all dealerships have a Service Center, the 2011-2020 M82! 6spd transmission in the Mustang 5.0 TRASH they should all be replaced for free. I would rather have a door handle issue than a transmission problem that’s what all these clamps and hoses look like to me a future problem. The Mach E is nice I wouldn’t buy until this matter is reworked
This poorly managed company has no idea on how to manufacture sedans profitably, so this has to be the joke of the century. Do you really think Tesla model 3 owners are going to trade in their own cars for their jalopies?
Get off of your high horse dude. Ford has had many top selling vehicles in my lifetime. They bench mark different manufacturers vehicle for testing to make sure they don’t have the same issues as Tesla. We have all heard the horrible horror stories about Tesla’s costumer service and repair situation. Just finished watching a video about Rich Rebuilds About That Nasty Repair Service Situation Tesla Seems To Be Having. You Can’t Even Order Simple Parts To Repair Your Car Like Lug Nut Covers.
Quit living in the past, Ford products today are substandard at best, they no longer answer owners complaints, you have to file a class action lawsuit to get results, if you bought a 2021 F150, check underneath the truck to make sure there are no rusted parts, make sure the windshield washer fluid is not contaminated. As someone who is no fan of Tesla, as of today, Tesla’s market value is $595 billion, GM $88.24 billion, Toyota $294.36 billion, Ford $58.38 billion, investors must disagree with you.
No one said Ford lost money on sedans. And in fact they still make them. They did say however they can make More profits on SUVs and trucks in North America
Ford said they lose money in America selling sedans which is a lie, they make more money pushing the Truck SUV lie Greed. Ford can sale SUV/Trucks Lincoln should be selling SEDANS as well period. The same lie was told in 2011 when they killed the #1 selling Ranger, where is the Ranger at today? Case Closed
you’re a special kind of crazy aren’t you?
This company claimed that they were losing $900 million/yr on sedans, which is the reason they gave for discontinuing sedans.
Get off of your high horse dude. Ford has had many top selling vehicles in my lifetime. They bench mark different manufacturers vehicle for testing to make sure they don’t have the same issues as Tesla. We have all heard the horrible horror stories about Tesla’s costumer service and repair situation. Just finished watching a video about Rich Rebuilds About That Nasty Repair Service Situation Tesla Seems To Be Having. You Can’t Even Order Simple Parts To Repair Your Car Like Lug Nut Covers.
Know your competitors! All manufacturers have evaluated competitors’ products forever. To out-Tesla Tesla, Ford had better drive it and check out its components.
As Roy mentioned at the outset….. hope Lincoln does not sit on its hands and appear to get left behind. FORD does this all the time and then complains for greater market share. The best and newest should start in a Lincoln and roll out from there. It establishes pricing and product affiliations within the brand….. instead of trying to be a better TESLA. FORD is starting to be a bit helter skelter with their product planning and communications. Watch the 20K Maverick turn into a 35K poser… the same will happen with Bronco if it ever arrives which is not going to beat JEEP, rather copy it in the worst ways! Benchmarking is good for technical analysis…. it is not a substitute for industry leadership…..
Nothing new, all auto companies do that. Tit for tat! The RV Industry has been doing that since inception, it’s also known as SPLASHING.
I would be very concerned if Ford was not bench marking other brands. There is too much left to chance otherwise. This helps narrow the field of variability in design and manufacturing. Hopefully much is learned…but sometimes one has to wonder…like in the latest Munro video about the complexity of the cooling system in the Mach-E versus a similar system in a Tesla. Certainly interesting to see the differences and ponder the reason(s) for the overly complex system in the Ford versus the Tesla. I’m sure the Ford engineers had the Tesla system to explore during their process.
Shouldn’t have Ford benchmarked this while they were developing the Mach e?