The electrification of emergency braking, hybrid powertrains, and pickup trucks return to the spotlight. Ford (F.US) strongly supports the narrative of "manufacturing returning to the United States" and rewrites its growth story.

Unlike descendants who hold equity and stay away from the commercial environment, the descendants of the founder of Ford Motor Company have long been deeply involved in the operation or management of Ford Motor Company (F.US), accompanying the company in its continuous evolution during uncertain times in the industry. At this year's Detroit Motor Show, Bill Ford and three of his four children struck a pose for a family photo, with beaming smiles on their faces. Bill Ford - the great-grandson of Henry Ford, who founded Ford Motor Company in 1903. The current head of the Ford family had many reasons to smile at the auto show: not only were two new car products launched, but also the company's participation in multiple racing events starting this year's racing season, held in Detroit. Operating an auto company is a family affair for the Ford family. In fact, Ford Motor Company is the only one of the "Big Three" American traditional auto giants that is actually effectively controlled by the founder's family. Of Bill Ford's four children, three work at the automaker. Will is the general manager of Ford Racing, the youngest son Nick works in the company's strategic business department. His daughter Alexandra serves as a board member, the first female in the family to hold that title. Bill has been on the board for nearly 40 years, serving as Ford's executive chairman since 1999. "For 123 years, we are still a family-owned company," Ford said in a media interview. "I'm just the fourth person in the family to hold the top position in the company. I've held almost every position: I was president, I was CEO, I was chairman, I was COO." However, for Ford, manufacturing cars in the United States is even more important than running Ford as a family business. "Before anyone even hears about these aggressive tariff policies, our competitors have already moved production elsewhere. But for me, the important thing is that we still need to make the US market our manufacturing and sales center," he emphasized. "We paid a high price for this; it makes our costs higher, but in the end, it's the right thing to do." Ford Motor Company can be said to be a strong supporter of the "Made in America" policy led by the Trump administration, repeatedly expressing strong support for the "Made in America" policy of President Donald Trump and striving to double domestic car production by 2030. Since returning to the White House, President Trump has vowed to take even more aggressive steps than the Biden administration - including significant tariffs on global manufacturers, and continued trade negotiations based on tariffs to encourage large US and foreign companies to expand manufacturing on US soil. The goal is to bring manufacturing back to the United States and "Make America Great Again" (MAGA). A fierce strike between Ford and the United Auto Workers (UAW) in late 2024 led to a landmark agreement, but also raised Ford's labor costs. 80% of Ford vehicles sold in the United States are fully assembled on US soil, a much higher proportion than its competitors, and the company also employs the largest number of UAW workers in the country. "I'm very proud of that," Ford said in the interview. President Trump's open goal in starting a trade war is the full return of the larger US manufacturing sector around the world. While many economists and world leaders question Trump's strategy and tariff policy, these measures have prompted more announcements of US plant construction by companies like America's Car-Mart, Inc. Imposing tariffs on foreign parts and whole vehicles produced overseas - such as the entry-level Ford Maverick produced in Mexico - will bring additional costs to car companies like Ford, but Bill Ford believes that if it can lead to a stronger US manufacturing sector, then the trade-off is worth it. "It's really important... we were at real risk of losing our industrial base. Fortunately, in recent years, both the Republican and Democratic parties have realized, 'wait a minute, this is important, Ford is important to us,'" Ford said in an interview. One of Bill Ford's "epiphany moments" came during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Ford took on the massive task of assembling ventilators and respirators on a large scale, increasing production to thousands per month. "I think people in government have woken up and said, 'wow, we can't lose this'," he emphasized, believing this pushed people to rethink and rebuild America's previously strong manufacturing base. The Biden administration also recognized the importance of Ford and other American automakers, passing two significant spending bills - the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Act and the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. The IRA, in particular, has driven significant expansion in US domestic electric vehicle production and the local production of batteries and other components needed for electrification. Under the generous push of the IRA's $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicle purchases and leases, Ford's electric vehicle sales surged at one point; but Trump's One Big Beautiful Act in 2025 canceled this tax credit, ending these major incentives for electric vehicles. Ford ultimately incurred a huge expense in its electric vehicle business, reaching $19.5 billion, and shifted its focus from electric vehicles to traditional fuel, trucks, and hybrids, which have long been Ford's strengths. Its competitor General Motors Company (GM.US) also incurred a combined $7.1 billion in expenses related to electric vehicles, with more expenses expected in 2026. "The situation with electric cars is that regulation really got ahead of the customer, leading to a certain degree of mismatch - the regulation pushed us in a direction that was misaligned with what the customer wants. That's never a good thing. Now we're more aligned," he said in the interview. Ford and GM once fully bet on electric vehicles but are now scaling back some of those bets and refocusing on producing more fuel and trucks, and hybrid models that are popular in the United States. While both companies are still producing electric vehicles, Ford particularly believes that the company has the right production mix: a cheaper universal electric vehicle manufacturing platform about to launch, and a new automotive software architecture being developed. This ensures that even if electric car sales rebound, the company won't be left behind. Ford believes that the company's international footprint can help it maintain a more flexible ability to respond to external environments. The company can obtain technology and insights from business locations around the world. Ford is also seeking to achieve stronger performance through partnerships with Chinese partners and is rumored to be nearing an agreement with the Chinese car manufacturing leader BYD Company Limited on a hybrid power battery cooperation agreement. Ford is also the first automaker to engage in deep cooperation in electric vehicle charging with the global electric vehicle leader Tesla, Inc. (TSLA.US). The new electric vehicle strategy, refocusing on hybrids, and the emphasis on manufacturing popular fuel and truck, hybrid models in the US are seen as key to Ford's success in the next phase by Bill Ford. But equally important is the focus on family and the future. "I really enjoy it," Ford emphasized when discussing all the roles he has held in the company and the increasingly important business roles his children have in the automaker named after their family.