When it kicked off development of the new Mustang Mach-E, Ford knew that it couldn’t do things normally. The Blue Oval’s huge corporate organisation had been put to shame in recent years by Tesla’s dazzling success, not least its market valuation, which put the Californian start-up as being worth far more than the Detroit colossus.
We can debate endlessly (and largely pointlessly) the bubble-like stock market valuations of tech companies, but Ford knew it had to change the way it developed its new electric vehicle. So, a skunk-works was set up within Ford, a small team of engineers and designers, answerable only to the highest ranks of managers and vice-presidents, who could get on with working on the new car without let or hindrance.
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Ford’s Mustang Mach-E proves batteries can be fun
