demeanor. During my interview with him at CES 2010, just a few hours
after his keynote address, it was clear the ebullient executive is
serious about turning Ford into a car brand for geeks, and optimistic
about his company's outlook.
We've detected that you need to upgrade or install Flash 8 or later to
view our library of thousands of tech videos. Installing Flash is
fast, free, and easy! Simply follow the instructions from your
browser, or click here to install/upgrade the free Flash player.
Thanks,
The CNET TV Team
At the show, Ford continued to push some major tech into cars,
announcing a slew of in-cabin technology advances like a Ford Sync API
that will lead to mobile apps that work with your in-car Sync system.
Ford will roll out the upgrade to Sync later this year with kickoff
apps Pandora, Stitcher, and one called OpenBeak that lets you get your
Twitter feed read to you. The company also announced its
next-generation vehicle "cockpit," the MyFord Touch system, a highly
connected car interface that will start appearing on 2011 model year
cars later this year.
I asked Mulally whether tech is one of the ways Ford will return to
dominance, and he said there's no question the Sync system and the
company's tech advancements are a huge selling point. He said 77
percent of people who have used Sync consider it a reason to buy a
Ford. But, he said, the company is also focused on safety in the car.
I asked him about the problem of potentially dangerous distraction in
the vehicle, and he said the MyFord Touch system is designed to let
drivers control their media with buttons on the steering wheel as well
as with voice recognition.
We also talked about green car tech: Mulally said Ford is not
necessarily focused on creating a show-off electric vehicle (a clear
dig at competitors like the Chevy Volt and the Nissan Leaf), and is
instead taking a spaghetti-against-the-wall approach to sustainable
carmaking, focusing on hybrid technology and improved fuel efficiency
across the line.
I also asked whether Mulally believes that Ford sold more cars this
year as a result of not taking federal bailout money, and he said he
thought Ford's relatively strong position compared to other U.S.
automakers gave people confidence that the cars and the company could
be trusted. And as long as Mulally's willing to get into the geek
world, we talked a bit about flying cars (they're not planning to make
any) and fully automated vehicles (he's not willing to give up the
wheel). All in all, it was a fun and relaxed conversation, and Mulally
certainly gives the impression of a man excited to be running the
company he's running.