Ford EV Chief Doug Field Exits Automaker

A significant leadership change is underway at Ford as the company restructures its teams focused on electric vehicles and digital software. Doug Field, the executive brought in from Apple five years ago to lead Ford’s ambitious and costly transition into the EV market, will depart the automaker next month. Stepping into a newly elevated role is Alan Clarke, a former Tesla engineer. Clarke, who currently manages Ford’s secretive skunkworks operation in California, will be promoted to vice president of advanced development projects. In this capacity, he will retain responsibility for the critical initiative to create Ford’s Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) Platform, a foundational architecture intended to underpin future electric models.

This executive shift follows a challenging period for Ford’s electric vehicle strategy. It arrives less than five months after the company reported a substantial $19.5 billion writedown on its EV investments, a move that signaled serious financial recalibration. The restructuring also coincides with Ford’s decision to discontinue several electric vehicle programs, reflecting a broader industry trend of adjusting to slower-than-anticipated consumer adoption rates. Field’s departure marks the end of a high-profile chapter where Ford aggressively recruited Silicon Valley talent to compete with pure EV makers like Tesla. The promotion of Clarke, with his deep roots in electric vehicle engineering from his Tesla tenure, suggests Ford is placing a renewed emphasis on foundational technology and cost-effective platform development under its “Ford+” transformation plan.