A Ford exec with a design background and who launched its Chariot microtransit system and Motivate bike share program has just been named the automaker’s CEO. Not only does this give Ford a competitive edge over traditional car companies, which have been scrambling to acquire tech startups in the race to autonomy, it shows that Ford is fully committed to its vision of shared, autonomous mobility that may not even include personal cars.
The new CEO is Jim Hackett, a longtime Ford board member who had recently joined the company in a new role, forging the company’s technology links with Silicon Valley. Hackett replaces the former CEO Mark Fields, who championed Ford’s new direction but apparently wasn’t turning the company’s stock around fast enough.