Farley’s software-as-a-service gamble will play out first in the commercial vehicle space, where Ford this year announced a spinoff business to focus on fleet buyers.
The six new Ford Pro appointments, who will all report to unit CEO Ted Cannis, are a mix of company insiders and outside talent from Samsung and The Walt Disney Co.
Ford has said it expects to nearly double the revenue it generates from commercial vehicles and services to $45 billion by 2025.
The Ford Pro business model will include dedicated vehicles, charging options and financing models specific to fleet buyers.
“With customer productivity as our North Star, this leadership team and our employees around the world are going to change how business in the commercial vehicle space is done,” Cannis said in a statement.
Ford says it has a 43 percent share of Class 1 to 7 commercial vehicles in the U.S., and it plans to take a leading position with electric vehicles. Its first, the E-Transit van, launches this year, while the F-150 Lightning pickup is scheduled to arrive next year.
Farley said last week the commercial unit will be the first real test for the company’s newest connected services.
“We’re really excited about Ford Pro,” he said. “That’s, frankly, in the near term our big bet in terms of revenue for the company.”
