“We will have to rethink the meaning of the Ford brand in a country like China”. This was stated by the CEO of the American company, Jim Farley, during a charity event held recently in Detroit, USA.

As Reuters reports, the leader plans a complete rebrand to work on certain turbulent and hyper-competitive markets, such as China. But what does that really mean?

The idea is still under development

At this point, even the manufacturer’s senior management seems to be still in full swing. Indeed, Jim Farley hasn’t given any hints or details about how Ford is going to make this transformation. However, this is what it turns out the firm with the blue oval needs a push to (again) set out to conquer Chinaparticularly after the drop in sales recorded in the first quarter of 2023.

And Ford is far from the only manufacturer that has faced difficulties in China. Other brands also fail to gain the desired market share, local manufacturers managed to change the trend in a few years and catch everyone on the wrong foot with less expensive and far from cheap electric cars.

In addition, according to Reuters, Jim Farley noted that the brands most active in China are quite high-end, such as Xpeng, Nio or Li Auto, manufacturers that offer only electric vehicles and, above all, a high level of on-board technology. .

“The differentiation really comes down to technology and services”said the Ford CEO before adding: “They are all beautiful. All of these vehicles are beautiful. Go see China. »

BYD, an example to follow?

And China has no intention of stopping there. Now manufacturers are attacking Europe, in particular, by occupying a segment neglected by “traditional” manufacturers: affordable small cars.

According to Jim Farley, one Chinese brand stands out above all others: BYD. The Chinese company controls almost all aspects of the supply of raw materials and components: “It’s completely vertically integrated, right down to the batteries. No one in the whole world does that. »

This key strategic advantage, in particular, makes it possible to create more affordable cars such as the Seagull, a city car with a range of 250 km and offered in China at the equivalent of around €10,000 at entry level.