New Round Of Ford Layoffs Rumored This Week In Engineering (Updated)

Amid a tight market that’s been dealing with everything from a pandemic to soaring inflation, supply chain issues, and tariffs in recent years, several automakers have been forced to cut costs to stay afloat. That includes Ford, which first began shaving jobs in its engineering ranks back in the summer of 2023 – a department that CEO Jim Farley previously noted was overstaffed by around 25 percent. Now, a new round of Ford layoffs – also in engineering – are rumored to take place this week, Ford Authority has learned.

Sources are telling Ford Authority that these engineering layoffs are set to occur at some point this week, particularly on the technology side of operations. The rumored Ford layoffs come shortly after The Blue Oval opted to change development plans pertaining to its next-generation FNV4 (fully-networked vehicle) electrical architecture, instead merging it with a program that evolves its existing architecture – FNV3 – into a new version called FNV3.X. Additionally, Ford is developing a separate architecture that will be utilized in the company’s forthcoming low-cost EVs riding on a new platform in development by its skunkworks team.

In the past, an announcement such as this typically precedes layoffs, and that seems to also be likely with this consolidation of sorts. Adding further fuel to that fire is a copy of an internal letter Ford Authority has obtained a copy of, which seemingly previews this latest round of Ford layoffs.

Team,

This week we are making some necessary structural changes within the CVS organization to improve our focus and compete more effectively in a rapidly evolving environment.

These changes include adjusting how we operate, ensuring we have the right skills in place for our future goals.

All CVS team members in the U.S. and Canada will work from home May 13^th and 14^th.

Regards,

[Name Redacted] Technology Platforms

As Ford Authority previously reported, the automaker’s decision to merge its architecture projects is intended to ensure that its forthcoming FNV3.X delivers the same sort of software-driven experience in both its all-electric and ICE models, creating a more seamless experience in that regard.

Update: Ford announced that it is cutting 350 connected-vehicle software jobs in the U.S. and Canada, which Ford spokesman Ian Thibodeau told the Detroit Free Press are not related to its recent shifts in architecture plans. 

“We consistently review our organization to make sure we are operating efficiently and effectively in a fast-paced and dynamic environment,” Thibodeau said. “We are making changes within our Connected Vehicle Software team to ensure we have the right talent and organization to deliver the world’s best next-generation connected vehicles. This will include some separations.”