Ford Dissolves EV Unit, Doug Field Departs as Farley Chases 8% Margin

Ford folds its standalone electric vehicle division into manufacturing operations under COO Kumar Galhotra, as chief EV officer Doug Field exits the company.

Apr. 15, 2026 at 10:30pm

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An abstract, blurred image of a Ford electric pickup truck in motion, with streaks of bright colors representing the vehicle's speed and the dynamic nature of the automotive industry's transition to electrification.Ford's restructuring of its EV division signals a shift towards industrialization and profitability as the automaker chases an 8% margin target.Louisville Today

Ford is dissolving its standalone electric vehicle division and losing the executive who built it, Doug Field, the company's chief EV, digital, and design officer. Field, who previously worked at Tesla and Apple, will leave Ford next month. His role will be folded into Ford's global manufacturing operations under COO Kumar Galhotra in a new unit called Product Creation and Industrialization. The move comes as Ford CEO Jim Farley aims to reach an 8% adjusted EBIT margin by 2029, up from around 5.8% currently.

Why it matters

Ford's restructuring signals a shift in the automaker's EV strategy, moving away from a standalone EV division towards a more integrated approach focused on manufacturing, cost, and profitability. The departure of Doug Field, a high-profile hire from Silicon Valley, also marks the end of Ford's attempt to import that kind of talent and culture to compete with Tesla and Chinese EV makers.

The details

Ford is dissolving its standalone electric vehicle division and losing the executive who built it, Doug Field, the company's chief EV, digital, and design officer. Field will leave Ford next month after nearly five years leading the automaker's push into software-defined EVs. In his place, Ford is folding the EV, digital, and design group into its global manufacturing operations under COO Kumar Galhotra, in a new unit called Product Creation and Industrialization. The reorganization comes as Ford aims to reach an 8% adjusted EBIT margin by 2029, up from around 5.8% currently. Ford also committed to refreshing 80% of its North American lineup and 70% of its global lineup by volume through 2029, putting 90% of vehicles on updated electrical architectures with over-the-air capability by 2030, and offering electrified powertrains on roughly 90% of global nameplates by 2030.

  • Doug Field will leave Ford next month.
  • Kieran Cahill, VP of Manufacturing for Europe and IMG, is retiring on May 1 after 37 years at Ford.

The players

Doug Field

Ford's former chief EV, digital, and design officer who is leaving the company next month. He previously worked at Tesla and Apple.

Jim Farley

CEO of Ford Motor Company.

Kumar Galhotra

Ford's Chief Operating Officer who will oversee the new Product Creation and Industrialization unit that combines the EV, digital, and design group with Ford's global manufacturing operations.

Alan Clarke

Vice president of Advanced Development Projects at Ford, who leads the California-based Advanced Electric Vehicle Development team that engineered the Universal EV Platform.

Kieran Cahill

Ford's VP of Manufacturing for Europe and IMG who is retiring on May 1 after 37 years at the company.

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The takeaway

Ford's restructuring signals a shift away from a standalone EV division towards a more integrated approach focused on manufacturing, cost, and profitability. The departure of high-profile hire Doug Field also marks the end of Ford's attempt to import Silicon Valley talent and culture to compete with Tesla and Chinese EV makers. The company is now prioritizing industrialization and margin improvements over a pure technology-driven EV strategy.